Addiction

Question 1

what is the definition of addiction

Answer 1

• There is a continuum from normal to excessive engagement in practises that people enjoy or feel compelled to do
• Behaviour with harmful results over which one has impaired control e.g. inability to stop

Question 2

addiction is ….

Answer 2

A social construct

Question 3

Name some types of addiction

Answer 3

• drugs
• gambling
• alcohol
• shopping
• gaming

Question 4

What social norms dictate abnormal drug use

Answer 4

• Social groupings
• Geographical location
• Time in history

Question 5

Name the psychological mechanisms that lead to drug use

Answer 5

Classical and operant conditioning

Question 6

name some psychological factors that can lead to drug use

Answer 6

• Personality and mental health factors contributing to individual vulnerability
• Social and environmental factors

Question 7

Describe how classical conditioning can lead to drug addiction

Answer 7

 A neutral stimulus can elicit response if associated with unconditioned (biological) stimulus
- eventually this leads to a conditioned stimulus providing a conditioned response
 It works even when primary reinforcement is inconsistent. Occasional ‘hits’ suffice for use of drugs
 Cues (syringes, pubs) can trigger conditioned ‘craving’ and relapse of the drugs

Question 8

What does operant conditioning do

Answer 8

 Operant conditioning forms an association between a behavior and its consequence

Question 9

describe how operant conditoning can lead to drug addiction

Answer 9

 Behaviour leading to a central reward (one candidate is dopamine release in the core of nucleus accumbens) gets activated in circumstance in which the reward was attained with the same behaviour previously - example of operant conditioning as person gets a reward for their behaviour therefore they are more likely to do it again

Question 10

Name an example of a central reward

Answer 10

one candidate is dopamine release in the core of nucleus accumbens

Question 11

define a positive reinforcement

Answer 11

 Behaviour that leads to pleasurable sensations (fast) is likely to be repeated

Question 12

name the positive reinforcement involved in drug use

Answer 12

 Pleasurable sensation
 Satisfaction of biological needs (e.g. cocaine and nicotine reduce hunger)
 Social reinforcement, e.g. group membership

Question 13

What is a negative reinforcement

Answer 13

 Behaviour that stops or avoids negative sensations (fast) is likely to be repeated

Question 14

name the negative reinforcements involved in drug use

Answer 14

 Reduction of habitual stress level
 Reduction of acute distress
 Increased pain threshold
 Reduction of withdrawal symptoms

Question 15

withdrawal relief is…..

Answer 15

a type of negative reinforcement this is because Neuroadaptation may lead to withdrawal discomfort when the drug is not taken

Question 16

What is Positive and negative reinforcement and classical conditioning all driven by

Answer 16

behaviour is triggered by craving

Question 17

Describe what factors make an individual more susceptible to drug intake

Answer 17

	Sensitivity to positive drug effects
	Sensitivity to negative drug effects
	Personality (overlaps)
	Mental health, childhood trauma
	Social circumstances: Poverty, social isolation

Question 18

describe Sensitivity to positive drug effects

Answer 18

 Sensitivity to drugs (genetic/biological factors, but also expectancies)
 High habitual stress levels
 Absence of other sources of gratification

Question 19

describe sensitivity to negative drug effects

Answer 19

 Biological sensitivity to drug after-effects (hang-over)
 Intensity of withdrawal discomfort
 Reactions to withdrawal discomfort

Question 20

describe how personality and mental health can lead to drug intake

Answer 20

 Sensation seeking (readiness to try and appreciate drugs), impulsivity
 Social deviance (insensitivity to social disapproval)
 Anxiety and depression (+and- drug effects salient, co-morbidity common)
 Ability to cope with withdrawal discomfort

Question 21

How do social and environmental factors lead to increased drug intake

Answer 21

Access to drugs (availability and cost)

Social acceptability of drug use

Facilitation (group norms)

Question 22

What are factors that contribute to the affectiveness of drugs

Answer 22

• Speed of delivery (cocaine vs crack cocaine; snorting vs injecting heroin) – crack cocaine more addicted than normal cocaine
• Concentration (beer vs hard liquor)
• Presence of other facilitating chemicals (NRT/e-cigarettes vs tobacco)
• Prohibition/war on drugs’ unintended consequences: More concentrated drugs, criminality, creation of misery that feeds drug use (Bootleggers and Baptists)

Question 23

What are the treatments for drug addiction

Answer 23

• ‘Detoxification’
• Aversion therapies (Antabuse – disulfiram (can be implanted in the skin), acute hang-over via acetaldehyde)
• Motivational therapies (groups, AA)
• Cognitive-behavioural (coping skills)
• Drug substitutes (methadone, NRT)
• Treatments for withdrawal relief (clonidine), antagonists (naltrexone), partial agonists (varenicline) etc.

Question 24

treatment that focus of abstinence have….

Answer 24

very limited efficacy

Question 25

describe why treatments that are focused on abstinence have very little efficacy

Answer 25

• modest early effects normally lost to relapse
• little evidence of differential efficacy
• little evidence that matching treatments to patients help
• recovery mostly independent of treatment - e.g. life changes come and this causes people to stop using drugs

Question 26

why is there a renewed interest in harm reduction and decriminalisation of drugs

Answer 26

illegal drugs create a prison population and feed criminal gangs
- decriminalisation reduces the prison population and prevents criminal gangs gaining money from drugs