Drug abusers do not notice emotions easily

The relationship between drug abuse and basic emotions was first analyzed through a study conducted by scientists from the University of Granada.

The study reveals that drug-abusers have difficulty experiencing basic emotions such as happiness and surprise and in identifying negative emotions like disgust, fear, and sadness.

Neuropsychological evaluation that includes neurocognitive evaluation and emotional processing tests, were done among 190 subjects in the same age group.

The study analyzed 67 non-users while 123 of them have consumed at least one drug among cocaine, cannabis, heroin, alcohol, methamphetamine, and MDMA, and are under rehabilitation.

Results showed that 70 percent of drug abusers, regardless of the substance consumed, have been identified to suffer from neuropsychological deterioration. These attributes were confirmed due to a major impairment in working memory, flexibility, planning, and multitasking ability.

Additionally the effect of cannabis and cocaine were described to degrade memory and reasoning while cocaine abuse leads to significant alterations in inhibition. The regular use of alcohol, cannabis, or cocaine has vast effects on the user’s fluency and decision-making.

Results from this study, as suggested by the author, should be employed in order to create social and political policies, and to promote adequate rehabilitation programs for various neuropsychological profiles of drug abusers.