Reddit reviews Psychopharmacology: Drugs, the Brain and Behavior

A simply worded question that takes a very long time to answer. This is way, way outside the scope of what is communicable in an online forum such as this. If you're really interested, I'd recommend reading up on psychopharmacology. Wikipedia has the basics, and this book is a great undergraduate level text.

But to very, very simply answer your question: You miss the point. Chemicals influence EVERYTHING in our brain. It's a squishy mass of structure and chemicals. Your first question (and the fourth one) put another way, is "How does the brain work?"

Your other two are extensions of this "how does the brain work" question you're really asking. It'd be really hard for me to talk about them in any depth unless you have a decent understanding of the basics of the brain.

edit:grammar

Let's see:

For a wealth of data but a perspective of addiction which actually disagrees with what I say (though they are selective in their interpretation) there's this:

http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674057272

The standard primer on neurobiology of addiction is this:

https://www.amazon.com/Neurobiology-Addiction-George-F-Koob/dp/0124192394/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1498869508&sr=8-2&keywords=drugs+koob

For a biopsychosocial perspective, there's this:

https://www.amazon.com/Drugs-Society-Human-Behavior-Carl/dp/0073529745/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1498869548&sr=8-4&keywords=drugs+and+society

By the same author but for a popular audience is this:

https://www.amazon.com/High-Price-Neuroscientists-Self-Discovery-Challenges/dp/0062015893/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498869576&sr=8-1&keywords=carl+hart

Another popular, critical book:

https://www.amazon.com/Realm-Hungry-Ghosts-Encounters-Addiction/dp/155643880X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498869570&sr=8-1&keywords=in+the+realm+of+hungry+ghosts

Another popular take:
https://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Scream-First-Last-Drugs/dp/1620408902


For the history of junkies in the us:

https://www.amazon.com/Creating-American-Junkie-Addiction-Research/dp/0801883830/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498869591&sr=8-1&keywords=creating+the+american+junkie

A global one:

https://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-Oblivion-Global-History-Narcotics/dp/0393051897/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498869828&sr=8-1&keywords=in+pursuit+of+oblivion

Primer on Harm Reduction:

https://www.amazon.com/Harm-Reduction-Second-Pragmatic-Strategies/dp/1462502563/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1498869612&sr=8-2&keywords=harm+reduction

Primer on drugs and drug policy, quite neutral:

https://www.amazon.com/Drugs-Drug-Policy-Everyone-Needs-ebook/dp/B0054ID9UG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498869623&sr=8-1&keywords=drugs+kleiman

A book on the legalization of drugs:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0765701510/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Another, economic take, on legalization:

https://www.amazon.com/Drug-War-Crimes-Consequences-Prohibition/dp/0945999909

Sociology of drugs in the US:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0199935904/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Psychopharmacology primer intro:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0878935347/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

A criticism of the concept of addiction:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0814747647/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Some more esoteric but interesting stuff on epigenetics, neuroscience etc:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0849373913/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


A great book on the anthropology of drugs (this author also writes a lot of smaller papers too):

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6614135-righteous-dopefiend

If you have any background in organic chemistry, I'd strongly recommend this neurochem book.

It does not primarily focus on the gross structural aspects of the brain but rather the fine structural components of neurons from a number of the neurotransmitter systems. Additionally, it covers the mechanisms of action of various drugs.

edit: clarity/brevity

I believe it was in this textbook but honestly it’s packed away right now because we’re moving. I’ll try to remember to get more details when everything’s unpacked.