In the context of drugs and their effects on the nervous system, which term refers to a drug or substance that makes a person feel relaxed and causes the body and brain to work and react more slowly than normal?

Introduction / Context:
Different drugs affect the brain and body in different ways. Some increase alertness and activity, while others slow down brain function and produce a calming effect. Understanding the basic categories of drugs is important for health education and for answering exam questions about drug misuse and medicine. This question asks you to identify the term for a drug that relaxes a person and slows the body and brain down.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The substance being described makes a person feel relaxed.
• It causes the body and brain to work and react more slowly.
• We are dealing with a general category of drugs affecting the nervous system.
• Options include depressant, analgesic, antihistamine, stimulant, and antidote.
• We assume standard definitions used in school health education.

Concept / Approach:
Depressants are drugs that slow activity in the central nervous system. They can reduce anxiety, produce relaxation, and impair coordination, reaction time, and judgement. Common examples include alcohol, some sleeping pills, and certain anti anxiety medications. In contrast, stimulants speed up brain activity and increase alertness and energy. Analgesics relieve pain, antihistamines reduce allergic reactions, and antidotes counteract poisons. The description in the question clearly matches the effect of a depressant rather than these other categories.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Focus on the key phrase in the question: makes you feel relaxed and makes your body and brain work more slowly. Step 2: Recall that depressants slow down the central nervous system, leading to slower reactions and a calming effect. Step 3: Recognise that stimulants have the opposite effect, making people feel more energetic and alert. Step 4: Note that analgesics are primarily pain relievers and may or may not significantly affect reaction speed at normal doses. Step 5: Understand that antihistamines are mainly used to treat allergy symptoms such as sneezing and itching. Step 6: Remember that an antidote is a substance used to neutralise or counteract a poison, not a general drug category affecting mood. Step 7: Conclude that depressant is the correct term for the described drug effect.

Verification / Alternative check:
Health education materials often list examples of depressants and describe how they slow breathing, heart rate, and reaction time, as well as causing drowsiness and impaired coordination. Alcohol is frequently cited as the most commonly used depressant. Stimulants, such as caffeine or some medicines for attention disorders, are described as increasing activity and alertness. This clear contrast between depressants and stimulants supports the choice of depressant for a drug that relaxes and slows the body and brain.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Analgesic: Mainly reduces pain; while some may cause drowsiness, pain relief is their primary role, not general slowing of all body functions. Antihistamine: Used to treat allergy symptoms by blocking histamine; any sedative effect is a side effect, not the defining feature. Stimulant: Increases central nervous system activity, doing the opposite of relaxing and slowing the body. Antidote: Specifically counters poisons and toxins; it is not a class defined by relaxing or slowing the nervous system.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse depressants with antidepressant medicines because the words sound similar. Antidepressants are used to treat depression and can have complex effects on brain chemistry, whereas depressants are defined by their ability to slow brain and body activity. Another common mistake is to focus only on drowsiness and assume any drug causing sleep is automatically an analgesic or antihistamine. Remember that the core definition of a depressant is a substance that lowers nervous system activity, leading to relaxation and slower reactions.

Final Answer:
A drug that relaxes a person and slows body and brain activity is called a depressant.