Addiction psychiatry Flashcards
What are the three different categories that drugs can be classified into? explain each category and give examples of each .
-Hallucinogens are mostly safe unless they have contaminants mixed in them, and in some predisposed individuals they can cause psychotic episodes. ecstasy is an example
-The uppers – cocaine, caffeine, (these are stimulants that increase alertness and energy levels)
-The downers – alcohol, opioids (these help people feel relaxed by slowing down the central nervous system).
what are examples of other types of addictions?
-gambling
-technology
-gaming
what is the different between nicotine and caffeine.
Anything you drink it gradually increases.
With nicotine – every time you inhale within a few seconds you get the hot, the half-life is very short.
Cocaine and crack cocaine.
Same substance but swallowing or inhaling.
Inhaling – speeds up the process and gets to the brain more quickly.
what brain regions do drugs of abuse target?
-the reward system
-prefrontal cortex
what are some examples of alcohol withdrawal symptoms and how does this differ from the effects of alcohol?
alcohol withdrawal symptoms - shaking and sweating
normally alcohol causes decreased activity of the nervous system.
withdrawal symptoms are always opposite to the effect of the drug
what system in the brain does alcohol activate and what system is activated as a compensatory mechanism?
Alcohol activates the GABAergic system causing drowsiness.
But the withdrawal symptoms are the opposite because there is compensation from the glutamatergic system to establish an equilibrium.
This causes agitation and loads of glutamate.
what brain changes can be seen in those with substance use disorder?
down regulation of D2 receptors within the brain
what medication can be for alcohol detoxification and describe the mechanism of action?
diazepam is given
this works by increasing the activity of the gabaergic system causing the activity of the glutamatergic system to decrease.
what are the different factors that are associated with increased vulnerability of developing a drug addiction.
bio-psycho-social model
examples include:
-socioeconomic factors
-stress
-Genetic factors
-neglected and abused
what is the name of the medication used for opioid substitution treatment?
methadone which is a opioid agonist is given.
this is given in a clinically controlled environment and the dose is slowly reduced with time.
what are the 2 different components in cannabis and explain their properties
THC- addictive and psychoactive component
CBD- sedation and relaxation
what is given to those with alcohol dependency to increase their vitamin levels.
Pabrinex
apart from detoxification what else can be done to help those with drug addiction?
-relapse prevention training- allowing them to understand what the triggers could be and preventing relapse
-rehabilitation centres or day centre
-social interventions such as helping with housing and employment as well as education.
