Drug abuse: a biopsychiatric model.

The effects of drug abuse are caused by the stimulation or inhibition of different neurotransmitters, chiefly gamma-aminobutyric acid, acetylcholine, norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin and beta-endorphin. The biopsychiatric model focuses on neurotransmitter activity to diagnose and treat overdose and addiction. This model explains how different drugs exert their effects and provides a rationale for specific pharmacologic intervention in the drug-abusing patient.