Effect of Drugs and Hormones on Brain and Behavior (Essay Sample)

Effect of Drugs and Hormones on Brain and Behavior
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Effect of Drugs and Hormones on Brain and Behavior
Introduction
Psychology refers to the science dealing with studying the human mind and how it functions, with special context towards human behavior. Psychologically speaking, normal behavior signifies ideal developmental and functional actions that are consistent with the positive progress of both the individual and society. This essay will take a psychological review of drugs and hormones and their role in affecting the human brain and their behavior, both negatively and positively. Drugs are chemical substances taken to achieve a change in normal or abnormal physiological functioning. Drugs can either be for medicinal use or recreational, depending on their purpose. However, both purposes can result in changes in brain functioning and what is regarded as normal human behavior. Hormones are also chemical substances that are produced within the body to influence cellular activity. Some of the hormones that influence brain functioning and behavior include estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin. This essay will look at how these chemicals elicit changes in brain function and behavior. 
Drugs (Medicinal and Recreational)
Antidepressants                                          
           The most common drugs that alter brain function and change behavior are antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and anti-anxiety drugs. Depression has been recognized as a clinical mental manifestation that affects the normal body and brain functioning of the patient. Nord et al. (2021) state that antidepressants elicit sharp neurological shifts, especially in the amygdala, that evoke changes