List of Depressants

Depressants, also known as sedative-hypnotic drugs or "downers," are chemical substances that depress the central nervous system (CNS). Many of these drugs are legitimate pharmaceuticals that are obtained and used illegally. Depressant users are subject to developing a tolerance to the drugs, as well as withdrawal symptoms. The effects of depressant use include irritability, depression, impaired thinking, slowness and drowsiness.

Ethanol (Alcohol)

Alcohol is the most commonly abused depressant, and is therefore generally classified by itself. Alcoholism is a disease of alcohol dependence or abuse which may include long drinking binges, tolerance and blackouts. According to the 2009 National Institute of Health fact sheet on alcoholism, 15 percent of men and women in the United States are problem drinkers.

Barbiturates

Barbiturates are the next most popular type of depressants and are divided into three types: long-acting, intermediate, short and ultrashort. Made popular in the early twentieth century, barbiturate use is very similar to alcohol intoxication. Phenobarbital, Amytal, Seconal and Nembutal are a few well-known examples. Once a tolerance is achieved, the gap between the level needed to experience a "high" and a fatal dosage narrows dangerously. Used correctly, barbiturates are used for anesthesia, sedation, and for the treatment of insomnia and seizures.

Flunitrazepam

Flunitrazepam is also referred to by its brand name Rohypnol or its street name "roofies." Flunitrazepam is illegal in the United States and is often used as a "party drug" or a "date rape" drug, rendering its victims incapacitated during a sexual assault.

Gamma Hydroxybutyric Acid

Gamma Hydroxybutyric Acid, or GHB, is abused as an intoxicant for its euphoric effects, as a sleep aid or by bodybuilders as an anabolic drug. GHB is also abused as a "date rape" drug. GHB has a very quick onset and is quickly eliminated from the body. Its use causes CNS effects such as nausea, amnesia, drowsiness or coma. Marketed as the drug Xyrem, GHB is a legal medication in the treatment of narcolepsy.

Chloral Hydrate

Chloral hydrate is a drug that in previous years was commonly mixed with alcoholic drinks and referred to as a "Mickey Finn" or "knockout drops." Users are less likely to develop a dependence on chloral hydrate, and its effects typically last five to eight hours.

Paraldehyde

Paraldehyde is a legal drug marketed to hospitals to treat alcohol withdrawal symptoms. It is administered orally and may cause tissue damage if injected. Users of paraldehyde may develop an addiction to it, often during treatment for alcoholism.

Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines are more commonly known by some of their brand names: Valium, Xanax and Ativan. Doctors prescribe these depressants to treat anxiety, insomnia, muscle spasms and to prevent seizures.

Glutethimide and Methaqualone

Glutethimide and methaqualone were originally offered to be safe alternatives to barbiturates. Methaqualone is also referred to as Solor and Qualuude, or simply "ludes." These depressants were often used recreationally or taken with wine, and popular amongst young adults during the 1970s. In the United States, neither of the drugs are marketed for therapeutic use any longer, and they are rarely used medicinally.