addiction Flashcards
What is addiction?
A disorder in which an individual takes a substance or engages in a behaviour that is pleasurable but eventually becomes compulsive with harmful consequences. It’s measured by someone’s physiological and/or psychological dependence, tolerance and withdrawal.
What is a physical dependence to drugs?
Physical dependence occurs with long term use of many drugs (eg heroin, nicotine and even prescribed drugs like anti anxiety drugs).
Physical dependence occurs after heavy, daily usage over several weeks. It’s only possible to establish someone’s physically dependent on a substance when they’re experiencing withdrawal symptoms after they stop taking the drug. The person needs the drug to avoid withdrawal symptoms.Physically dependent individuals need the drug to feel normal.
What is a psychologist dependence to drugs?
This is when a person has a strong urge to use the drug despite being aware of any possible harmful effects associated with its use.
A craving to repeat the experience associated with the drug.
What is tolerance? What bodily function does it relate to?
Needing more substance to get the same effect.
It develops after using a drug for a long time.
What are withdrawal symptoms?
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What is withdrawal syndrome?
- If taking a drug such as heroin or nicotine is discontinued, withdrawal symptoms can occur.
- As the effect of the drug wears off, the person may experience symptoms such as increased anxiety, shakiness, trembling, insomnia, irritability or loss of appetite and headaches.
- Withdrawal differs depending on the drug, but all lead to negative effects.
- Experiencing such symptoms indicates that someone has a physical dependency on the drug. The body is trying to deal with an absence of the drug.
What are the two phases of withdrawal syndrome?
Acute withdrawal – begins within hours of stopping
drug use and gradually resolves after a few weeks.
• During this stage, the physical cravings that the addict experiences are intense and persistent, as the body has yet to adjust to the loss of the drug it had become used to for so long.
• Post-acute withdrawal – This can last for months or even years after the person has stopped taking the drug.
• This is characterised by emotional and psychological turmoil as addicts experience alternating periods of dysfunction and normality, as the brain rebalances itself.
What are the main risk factors associated with addiction?
- Genetic vulnerability
- Dopamine hypothesis
- Stress
Explain genetic vulnerability as a risk factor of addiction
Some people appear to be born with a genetic vulnerability to substance abuse
Evaluate genetic vulnerability as a risk factor of addiction
✅Genetic explanation for addiction suggests that
Although studies of male alcoholics have consistently supported the important role played by genetic factors in the developmental of alcoholism, research with women has produced inconsistent findings.
• For instance only 2 out of 5 twin studies found significantly greater concordance rates for alcoholism among female MZ twins than among female DZ twins. This suggests that genetic factors may be less important in the development of alcoholism in women than in men.
Evaluation of genetic risk factors
• Genetics + dopamine + environment: The diathesis-stress model
• An advantage of genetic explanations of addiction is that they can explain why some people develop addictive behaviour, yet others who have the same environmental experiences and life pressures do not.
• Some people are more likely to develop an addiction because of their genetic vulnerability. For example having an A1 variant gene (which leads to low levels of dopamine) has been associated with cocaine dependency, nicotine dependence and polydrug abuse.
• This suggests that individuals who inherit this gene variant are more vulnerable to develop addictive behaviour, as their addiction could lead to an increase in dopamine activity which will lead to an increase in rewarding feelings. However these addictions will only form with the aid of environmental fact
Explain stress as a risk factor of addiction
Stress is also a risk factor for substance abuse. People deal with stressful events in their life by engaging in a variety of behaviours that make them feel better or help them forget the stress This proposes that some individuals intentionally use different forms of pathological behaviour (e.g. alcohol, drugs and pathological gambling) to treat the psychological symptoms they experience because of everyday stressors in life.
• Research on drug abusers for example has shown that stress is one of the strongest predictors of relapse.
• Although the behaviour does not actually make the situation better but the perception that it does is important in that behaviour becoming an addiction.
Evaluate stress as a risk factor of addiction
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Explain personality as a risk factor of addiction
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evaluate personality
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Explain family influences as a risk factor of addiction
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