Addiction 1

Question 1

Drug Addiction

Answer 1

-Substance-related psychiatric disorder characterised by a persistent loss of control
-A chronic relapsing disorder characterized by obsessive craving

Question 2

Key characteristics of drug addiction

Answer 2

A chronic disease process that develops into a relatively rigid pattern of behaviour
- Compulsive use of a substance;
- difficulty in reducing or stopping use despite recognising the harmful consequences

-High probability of relapse

Question 3

What is the most harmful drug overall?

Answer 3

Alcohol is the most harmful drug overall
-Drug-specific mortality was a substantial contributor to five of the drugs
-Economic cost contributed heavily to alcohol, heroin, tobacco, and cannabis

Question 4

Class A

Answer 4

Heroin, cocaine, crack, MDMA, methamphetamine, LSD, and psilocybin Mushrooms

Question 5

Class B

Answer 5

Amphetamines, cannabis, codeine, methylphenidate

Question 6

Class C

Answer 6

GHB, ketamine, diazepam, flunitrazepam, tranquilisers, sleeping tablets and benzodiazepines.

Question 7

Drug-centered views on addiction

Answer 7

Negative reinforcement
Positive reinforcement
Neuroadaptation model

Question 8

Negative reinforcement Anhedonia models

Answer 8

Addiction behaviour is maintained because the aversive symptoms
associated with withdrawal are alleviated by the drug
❖ Drugs are sometimes used to’self-medicate’, relieving pre-existing
symptoms such as pain, anxiety or depression that occur in life
independent of drug use.

Question 9

Negative reinforcement Shortcomings

Answer 9

drugs are self-administered in the absence of withdrawal symptoms- there is little correlation between the seriousness of withdrawal signs and their
motivational force in maintaining addictive behavior.- there are many drugs used medically that produce withdrawal syndromes but are
not typically self-administered for non-medical purposes- relief of withdrawal is minimally effective in treating addiction- high tendency to relapse long after withdrawal symptoms have subsided

Question 10

Positive reinforcement Euphoria models

Answer 10

Addiction behaviour is maintained because of the euphoric state drugs induce,
not because they alleviate an unpleasant state.
❖ Drugs act as positive reinforcers because they produce pleasure and are
therefore addictive.

Question 11

Positive reinforcements Shortcomings

Answer 11

• no clear relationship between the ability of drugs to produce euphoria and
  their addictive potential.- negative consequences of continued drug use seem enormous relative to the
  pleasure effect- drug taking can be maintained in the absence of subjective pleasurable
  effects

Question 12

Neuroadaptation model

Answer 12

Addictive behaviour is caused by progressive and persistent changes in the brain
(neuroadaptations) resulting from repeated drug or alcohol consumption.
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The neuronal system mediating the motivational effects of drugs gradually becomes
hypersensitive to drugs and drug-associated environmental stimuli (cue’s). This
sensitization phenomenon makes drugs increasingly attractive, leading to obsessive
craving for the drug effect, compulsive drug-seeking and relapse to drug
consumption.
The development of addictive behaviour represents a pathological learning process
and relapse is caused by retrieval of drug-associated information that is persistently
stored in the brain (memory).
The neural system in the brain that is altered by addictive stimuli and mediates
addictive behaviour is the mesocorticolimbic system.