Is Nootropic a Drug? What Do Scientists Tell?

Before, people used to take chemicals to get drunk. Now they take them to work better.

Some people call these chemicals nootropics, some people call it doping for the brain and some even call it drugs. Let’s understand today what real nootropics mean and are they really drugs?

The fashion for nootropics, or smart drugs (“smart drugs”), as they are called in scientific literature, originated in the United States.

“Doping for the mind” are supplements that do not cause euphoria, but enhance attention, memory and intelligence.

There are two types of nootropic users.

In the first case, these are students and athletes. They are constantly in the face of fierce competition and willingly take any substances that help them succeed.

In the second case, these are people with boring and difficult jobs: for example, waiters in restaurants and people working the night shift. Many of them take stimulants to help with this work.

If the first group takes nootropics to succeed, then the second – to cope.

 

Are you looking for the best HARMLESS NOOTROPIC SUPPLEMENT what improves memory?

As for me, Mind Lab Pro is the best option available right now.

Mind Lab Pro focuses on cognitive function and general health more than any other nootropics.

 So Is Nootropic a Drug? What Do Scientists Tell?

 

People who took nootropics already at school and university do not even perceive them as medicines – for them they are study aids, supplements that help with learning.

I find it hard to believe that in the future they will stop using them.

A huge amount of research has been accumulated on the effects of nootropics.

Concerns about the dangers of Adderall and Ritalin for health, in the mass, remained unconfirmed.

Anyways, in any discussion of any chemical with any effect on the brain, two words come up: “drug” and “addiction.”

For many, the relationship of nootropics and drugs is in itself sufficient argument to bypass “smart pills” by a kilometer.

For others, there are clear boundaries between the two concepts.

So what is the difference between a nootropic and a drug?

A common criterion is addiction, but this word also needs to be defined.

Most people understand the word “addiction” to be any deterioration in the functioning of the brain during withdrawal.

The phrase “X is addictive” in this sense means that if you stop using X, then the brain will work worse for some time than before you started using X.

According to the most common definition of addiction in psychiatric textbooks, to be considered an addiction, substance use must interfere with important life functions: parenthood, work, intimate life.

It must be maintained, despite the ongoing negative consequences and attempts to quit, take a lot of time and mental energy.

Coffee, for example, causes “addiction”, which is expressed in drowsiness during withdrawal. But this drowsiness disappears in a few days without much effort or suffering.

In addition, coffee does not harm work and family, and in recent years, the medical literature has tended to believe that drinking it is generally good for the body. From a scientific point of view, addiction to coffee does not exist.

Science does not distinguish between legal and illegal drugs when defining addiction, and neither does the body. These distinctions are made by society for political or social reasons.

The criterion of dependence from a scientific point of view is extremely shaky, as well as the border between nootropics and drugs in principle.

The fate of “smart pills” is decided not by scientists, but by society and the law. It depends on them, and not on doctors, which substances are considered good and which are bad.

By “Adderall” they mean a “smart pill” that actually helps some people work and concentrate. And the word “amphetamine” means a drug that can really lead some people to addiction.

From a chemical point of view, amphetamine is the same as the popular nootropic Adderall.

If you live in the USA and your doctor prescribes you Adderall, produced by a pharmaceutical company, then you increase your attention and memory. If you live in Europe and your friend gives you an amphetamine brewed in a garage, then you are a drug addict and dangerous to society.

What Type of Drug is Nootropic?

The group of the most well-known nootropics includes amphetamine (phenamine) and its derivatives (for example, methamphetamine, Adderall, modafinil ).

They can release norepinephrine (a wakefulness mediator) and dopamine (which plays an important role in the brain’s “reward” system and is produced in large quantities during positive experiences) from the presynaptic endings of neurons.

These neurotransmitters, in turn, stimulate the corresponding receptors present in the higher structures of the central nervous system.

Amphetamines’ and methamphetamine are classic examples of nootropic drugs whose popularity is not based on their therapeutic effects, but on what results from their abuse.

They cause a powerful surge of energy and euphoria – this is mainly why addiction is formed.

Also, these substances can cause a sharp increase in blood pressure, tachycardia and other serious heart rhythm disturbances – as well as vasospasm.

An overdose of these drugs often leads to death due to respiratory arrest.

What to Know Before you Buy Nootropics?

Despite the fact that most of the nootropics are prescription drugs, nootropics are not subject to quantitative accounting (such as codeine or morphine), and therefore you can buy them at a pharmacy without a doctor’s prescription.

Nevertheless, it is strongly not recommended to buy and use nootropics without consulting a specialist for the purpose of self-treatment.

In addition, nootropics usually have a fairly long latent period of action (the time that passes before the manifestation of a pharmacotherapeutic effect), and therefore are effective only with long-term use – at least a month.

So using them as brain activity stimulants in the absence of specific indications (for example, to improve memory before an exam) is simply not advisable.

Final Words

The use of nootropics remains a controversial topic, as their sale and use is prohibited in some countries, while in others it is allowed.

Interestingly, most government regulators treat some nootropics as nutritional supplements that are not subject to strict regulation, a policy followed by the United States.

Science does not distinguish between nootropics and drugs when defining addiction, and neither does the body.

These distinctions are made by society for political or social reasons.

FAQ

Is it Allowed to Give Nootropics to Children?

Nootropics are used in the treatment of various diseases associated with the pathology of the central nervous system in children.

In the first years of a child’s life, they can be prescribed for the prevention and treatment of delayed psycho-speech-motor development; at a later age – to stimulate the activity of the central nervous system systems responsible for concentration, learning, memory, and the ability to reproduce information.

Do Nootropics Damage the Brain?

With prolonged use, they cause irreversible changes in the psyche and behavior, leading to a decrease in intelligence and chronic mental disorders – psychosis, depression. They can also adversely affect peripheral organs and tissues, especially the cardiovascular system.

Can Nootropics Cause Anxiety?

Nootropics have serious side effects. Due to their intake, increased nervousness, insomnia, anxiety and other negative conditions may occur.