A primer of drug action : a concise, nontechnical guide to the actions, uses, and side effects of psychoactive drugs / Robert M. Julien.

New York : W.H. Freeman, [1995], ©1995.

xi, 511 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

7th ed.

Classification of psychoactive drugs -- Principles of drug action -- Central nervous system depressants: concepts and traditional agents -- Central nervous system depressants: benzodiazepines, "second generation" anxiolytics, and antiepileptic drugs -- Central nervous system depressants: alcohol -- Psychostimulants: cocaine and the amphetamine -- Psychostimulants: caffeine and nicotine -- Pharmacotherapy of mood disorders: drugs for treating major depression -- Pharmacotherapy of mood disorders: drugs for treating bipolar disorder -- Analgesics: narcotic and nonnarcotic drugs --Antipsychotic (neuroleptic) and antiparkinsonian drugs -- Psychedelic drugs: mescaline, LSD, and other "mind expanding" hallucinogens -- Marijuana: a unique sedative-euphoriant-psychedelic drug -- Fertility-regulating drugs and anabolic-androgenic steriods --Drugs and society: priorities and alternatives -- Integration of drugs and psychotherapy in treating mental disorders.

Includes bibliographical references and index