Addictive Disorders Flashcards
What is a drug and how are they classified?
Any substance that exerts an effect on body or mind
(prescription, legal & illicit) Effect may be neurophysiological, behavioural, emotional or cognitive
Classified according to effect type:
- Depressant (downers): Alcohol, benzodiazepines, sedatives
- Stimulants (uppers): Cocaine, amphetamines, caffeine, nicotine, MDA (ecstasy)
- Hallucinogen: mescaline, LSD, psilocybin
- Opioid/narcotics: Morphine, heroin, codeine
- Cannabinoids: Marijuana, hash, ganja
- Tobacco, steroids, volatile solvents, prescription drugs
How is addiction defined?
Behaviours characterized by compulsion, loss of control & continued patterns of abuse despite perceived or objective negative consequences
DSM:
- Impaired control (cravings, difficulty cutting back or limiting consumption)
- Social Impairment (failure to meet obligations, interpersonal problems, reduced activities)
- Risky use (in dangerous locations, times, health)
- pharmacological (tolerance and withdrawal)
What is Choice Theory of addiction?
Habit (choice) versus addiction (impaired control):
Choice theory describes addiction as a relationship between opportunity, perceived benefits and costs, self control and urges.
What is the difference between physiological and psychological dependence?
Physiological dependence: Associated with physical
symptoms of tolerance & withdrawal on cessation
Psychological addiction/dependence: Cravings/desire leading to repetitive (compulsive) use
What are the commorbidities of substance abuse disorders?
60% substance users have a co-morbid psychiatric disorder
Highest overlap is with mood/anxiety disorders (twice as likely as general population)
reasons for comorbidity: Overlapping genetic vulnerabilities, environmental triggers, involvement of similar brain regions. Interactive effect: Drug/other disorders can increase vulnerability to the other
What are the developmental trajectories of drug use?
Drug use (of many types) tends to peak in the mid 20s, men tend to consume higher levels than women
Alcohol addiction trends: begin drinking young (12-14 first drink, 14-18 intoxication) dependence onset around 23-30
What are the risk factors for addiction?
biological: genetic vulnerability, high neural sensitisation (due to hormones, stress, trauma, etc)
psychological: mood/anxiety disorders twice as likely
How does addiction affect the brain?
Addictive drugs usurp neural circuitry normally involved in pleasure, incentive motivation, learning (not only
engaging these reward systems, but changing them –> Neuro-adaptation)
Drugs of dependence operate on the brains’ reward systems:
1) The dopaminergic system
2) The endogenous opioid system
What is I-RISA?
Impaired Response Inhibition and Salience Attribution
- Hypothesised dopamine involvement in drugs addiction mediated by functional & structural changes in circuits modulated by dopamine
Four clusters of behaviours involved: • Intoxication/excitement; • Craving: ‘wanting’ or ‘needing’ rather than ‘liking’ : • Compulsive use: • Withdrawal:
What are the key areas of the brain involved in the dopamine reward system?
- Hippocampus: Remembers experience & context
- Prefrontal cortex: Focus attention
- Nucleus accumbens: “Pleasure center,” stimulated
- Reward system: Reactivated with each use
What is the Learning theory of addiction?
Psychological theory of addiction that attributes addiction to classical and operant conditioning.
Two phases:
- aquisitional: casual use, and initial reinforcement
- motivational: use of drugs compulsively (motivated to take them)
Reinforcement types
- negative reinforcement: tension reduction, avoidance of negative states,
- positive reinforcement: ‘high’
What is the Opponent Process theory of addiction?
Drug activates euphoric ‘a-process’ in brain reward
circuits which in turn activates a opponent ‘b-process’ (which serves to restore homeostasis)
With repeated use, the a-process diminishes (tolerance) and the b-process sensitises (withdrawal)
What are the principles that guide effective management of addiction?
There are 6 key principles for effective management:
1. No single treatment is appropriate
2. Treatment needs to be readily available & accessible
3. Effective treatment involves & attends to multiple
psychological, medical & social interventions & needs
(CBT, naloxone, antabuse, methadone, peer support)
4. Dual diagnosed clients should have both disorders
treated in an integrated fashion
5. Treatment does not need to be voluntary to effect
change
6. Recovery from drug addiction can be a long term
process & frequently requires multiple episodes of
treatment
What is the CBT treatment for addiction?
- Identify high risk situations & events
- Reduce likelihood that these events are encountered
(providing alternative activities) - Rehearsing non-drug alternatives to cues
- Enhance motivation for alternative activities
- Target cognitions that enhance likelihood of drug use (rationalisation, giving up)
- emotional regulation skills
aim to increase reinforcing consequences for drug avoidance (long term social, health etc, short term prizes/rewards can be necessary)
What are the most common barriers to treatment of addiction?
- Psychiatric comorbidity,
- Acute or chronic cognitive deficits
- Medical problems
- Social stressors
- Lack of social resources
