Addiction: General Concept/Alcoholism Flashcards
What is dependence?
- A physiological need for a substance that a client cannot control
- results in withdrawal symptoms if the substance is withheld
- Dependence on a substance also results in the user developing a physiological tolerance for the substance, requiring use of greater quantities to achieve the same effect
What is addiction?
- physiological process of dependence as well as psychological need to seek substance
- Causes addicts to seek out substances at any cost
- may neglect children, work, and other responsibilities
What biological factors can contribute to addiction?
- hypothesis that addiction has a biochemical basis
2. related to dopamine and dopamine receptor sites
What genetic factors can contribute to addiction?
Hereditary factors that affect alcohol use and dependence
What are the three types of theories for alcoholism and what do they believe about what it is caused by?
- Psychoanalytical theorists view substance abuse as a fixation at the oral stage of development
- Behavioral theorists see addiction as a learned maladaptive behavior
- Family system theory focuses on a dysfunctional pattern of family relationships through several generations
What emotional factors can lead to addiction?
Pleasure model: views addiction as an emotional fixation acquired through learning that is aimed at obtaining pleasure and avoiding discomfort
What sociocultural factors can lead to addiction?
- often influence individuals’ decisions as to when, what, and how they use substances
- personality, religion/spirituality, financial resources, peer pressure, and cultural acceptance
Why are adolescents and young adults at risk for addiction?
- developmental transitions such as puberty and increasing independence have been associated with alcohol use
- binge drinking
- Experiments with other addictions, smoking, drugs sexuality, and promiscuity
Why are middle-aged adults at risk for addiction?
- depression
- empty nest syndrome
- Divorce, unemployment, health setbacks, retirement, death of a parent or spouse
- alcohol, prescription drugs, illicit drugs
Why are older adults at risk for addiction?
- underestimated, underidentified, undertreated
2. symptoms may mimic other medical and behavioral disorders common among older adults
What are some alterations and manifestations of substance abusers?
- higher rates of mental health disorders than the general population
- more than 40% of those treated for substance abuse have at least one mood disorder
- Depression may be part of the addiction problem
- Numerous social problems
What are some alterations and manifestations of non-addicted members (enablers)?
- inadvertent supporters of addicts’ behaviors
- any action in individual takes that consciously or unconsciously facilitates substance abuse
- Family members making excuses to employers or teachers
- Family members discontinuing their own social relationships with friends or neighbors to “keep up appearances”
What are the effects of addiction on families when it’s a family problem?
- alters family problems
2. alters behaviors of individual family members
What are the effects of addiction on families when a parent is abusing substances?
- devastating to the family
- power struggles between abusing and non-abusing partners
- Contributing factor to emotional neglect, physical or sexual abuse
What ineffective communication patterns may happen in the family when addiction is involved?
- contributes to anxiety and anger
- substance abuse not discussed within or outside family system
- family dependence
How can addiction be prevented?
- substance abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
- Federal initiatives, law enforcement, local and mental health professionals
- community and local initiatives
- Nurses assess clients’ risk for substance abuse and provide education related to prevention
- Focus on healthy coping mechanisms and obtaining treatment for existing mental health disorders such as depression
Why is having good communication important with patients who have an addiction?
- client at the center of all communication
- respect, empathy and caring are essential components of those with addiction
- many clients with addictions have poor communication skills
- clients experienced at hiding addictions, avoiding discussion of the addiction (need assistance with verbal and nonverbal communication; assertiveness training)
What is an addiction crisis?
when the usual resources and coping skills are no longer effective
What crisis intervention is needed?
- addict’s poor life management skills result in crisis (event needs to be perceived subjectively as a threat)
- During crisis situations the addict most likely will be motivated to seek help (most receptive to professional intervention)