Addiction Flashcards
Addiction
primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory, and related circuitry
- problem behavior pattern or problematic experience
- unhealthy relationship between person and mood-altering substance, experience, event, or activity
ABCs
A - Inability to consistently Abstain B - Impairment in Behavioral control C - Craving D - Diminished recognition of significant problems E - Dysfucntional Emotional response
Biopsychosocial model of addiction
complex interactions between biological, psychological, and socio-cultural factors
- origins are complex
Addiction is a brain disease……
drugs/alcohol change the brain –> they can be long-lasting
Prefrontal cortex
- enables us to assess situations, make sound decisions
- keep out emotions/desires under control
- brain develops into adulthood and undergoes significant change during adolescence
Voluntary/Involuntary
initial decision to use is mostly voluntary
- once addicted –> self control is seriously impaired
Brain imaging of substance abusers
physical changes in areas of brain that are critical to judgement, decision making, learning, memory, etc
Long term use rewires the brain
trigger adaptation in habit or non-conscious systems
- conditioning –> cues become associated with experience/cravings
- learned reflex –> extremely robust
Rewarding
drugs/alcohol interact with circuits
–> euphoria, reduced negative feelings, “normal”, cravings
Natural Rewards
Food
Sex
Water
Nurturing
What do all drugs of abuse do?
directly/indirectly flood brain’s reward circuit with dopamine
- DA = regulation of movement, emotion, cognition, motivation, pleasure
- overstimulation of reward produces euphoria –> repetition
Lasting effects of brain
brain adjusts to overwhelming surges of dopamine by producing less dopamine and fewer receptors
- ability to experience pleasure is reduced
- need drugs in larger amounts
Risk factors
Genetics, early onset, childhood trauma, mental illness
Attempt to control
nearly all addicts believe when they start, they can stop on their own
- some are successful –> many fail
Treatment
addiction is treatable –> can be managed
- involves deeply embedded behaviors
- combo of meds and behavioral therapies
