Alcohol Flashcards
What is a Gamma Drinker?
A gamma drinker is defined as an alcoholic who suffers from the disease of alcoholism.
What are Jellinek’s characteristics of Gamma Drinkers?
- Alcoholism is a progressive and irreversible disease and if someone continues to drink they will suffer dire physical and mental effects.
- The drinker suffers from a “loss of control” and has no control over how much or when the drinking will occur.
What are the downfalls of abstinence?
- People avoid abstinence treatment because they know they are not ready to stop drinking, so they avoid treatment altogether.
- 80% of people in North America drink and those who do not are shunned.
- Abstinence is often confused with cure. Not drinking doesn’t get rid of the fact that issues exist.
- “One drink away from being drunk” prophecy may become a self-fulfilling prophecy
What hypothesis is controlled drinking based off of?
Drinking is a learned behaviour that relies on the contingencies of reinforcement, and drinking may be shaped into controlled, less problematic drinking by changing the reinforcements.
What study did Berg et al. (1981) conduct and what does it suggest?
Conduced a balanced study in alcoholics who have been hospitalized. Some were given actual alcohol and some were not. When told that they consumed alcohol, the result was greater consumption of beverage, greater rated intoxication, greater anxiety, and appearance of physiological withdrawal.
This suggests that the response to alcohol may be a psychological epectancy that can be modified.
What study did Mark and Linda Sobell conduct and what does it suggest?
One group was put in high-risk situations and were told that while abstinence was the goal, a decrease in drinking was also acceptable. The second group followed the typical AA abstinence-focused treatment. The result was that the ones who did not have the pressure of abstinence fared much better than patience that had received the abstinence program.
This suggests that moderating and controlling drinking may be a potential treatment goal.
What is the harm reduction approach of drinking?
The harm reduction approach states that controlling/decreasing drinking instead of abstinence is a valid goal when alcoholics are going to avoid treatments that promote abstinence.
What percent of Americans aged 12 and older need treatment from alcohol?
Eight percent.
What percent of alcoholics actually seek treatment?
Fifteen percent.
Are women or men less likely to seek treatment?
Women are less likely to seek treatment.
What percentage of alcoholics have a comorbid disorder?
Fourty percent.
What are the most common comorbid disorders with alcoholism and what are the rates?
- Anxiety disorders (Five times)
- Major depression (Six times)
- Antisocial personality disorder (14%)
- Other drug dependence (40%)
What percent of alcholics improved or were abstinent following treatment?
Two thirds of alcoholics.
Who invented disulfiram (antabuse)? When did they invent it?
Danish workers Hald and Jacobsen in 1948.
How does disulfiram (antabuse) work?
It prevents the metabolism of acetaldehyde which leads to an accumulation of acetaldehyde. When alcohol is consumed after this, the drinker experiences an unpleasant set of symptoms. It works as aversion therapy.
