Addiction

Question 1

What is an addiction

Answer 1

Addiction is a disorder in which an individual consumes a substance such as nicotine or engages in a particular behaviour such as gambling that is pleasurable but eventually becomes compulsive with harmful consequences

Question 2

What is meant by á psychological dependence in relation to addiction

Answer 2

The mental and psychological compulsion to keep taking a substance as the individual believes they can not cope with work or social life without the particular substance such as nicotine or engaging in behaviour such as gambling
Done to increase pleasure or decrease discomfort
Absence of the drug or behaviour causes individual to become anxious or irritable leading to craving for the substance

Question 3

What is meant by a physical dependence in relation to addiction
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Answer 3

A state of the body that occurs when withdrawal syndrome is produced from stopping the substance or behaviour such as nausea

Question 4

WhT is meant by withdrawal syndrome

Answer 4

A collection of physical and psychological symptoms an individual will experience when they no longer take the substance or engage in behaviour
Symptoms include nausea headache and experiencing tremors
This is very unpleasant so individual may continue taking symptoms to avoid withdrawal symptoms
Severity of withdrawal symptoms depend on factors such as the type of substance, how long it was taken for and how often.

Question 5

What is meant by tolerance

Answer 5

Tolerance arises when you take a substance or maintained a certain behaviour for some time and due to the repeat exposure the response to the substance or behaviour becomes reduced the individual will then need a greater dose to feel the same physical and psychological effects again

Question 6

Cellular tolerance

Answer 6

Brian neurones adapt their responsiveness to higher levels of the substance

Question 7

Metabolic tolerance

Answer 7

Substance has been metabolised quicker and therefore leaves the body

Question 8

Behavioural tolerance

Answer 8

Individual learns through experience and adjusts their behaviour to compensate for the effects of the drug
Such as walking more slowly when drunk to avoid falling over