Ch 7: substance abuse Flashcards
Addiction
a condition produced by repeated consumption of a natural or synthetic psychoactive substance that a person has become physically and psychologically dependent on
Psychoactive effects
altering a person’s mood, cognition and behavior
Physical dependence
when the body has adjusted to a substance and incorporated it into the normal functioning of its tissues
2 characteristics of physical dependence
tolerance and withdrawal
Tolerance
process by which the body increasingly adapts to a substance and requires increasingly larger doses of it to achieve the same effect, eventually reaching a plateau
Withdrawal
unpleasant physical and psychological symptoms people experience when they discontinue or markedly reduce using a substance they have become dependent on
Symptoms experienced in withdrawal
anxiety, irritability, intense cravings for the substance, hallucinations, nausea, headaches, tremors, sweating, insomnia
Psychological dependence
when individuals feel compelled to use a substance for the effect it produces without necessarily being physically dependent on it
Substance-related and addictive disorders in the DSM-5
alcohol, caffeine, cannabis, phencyclidine, other hallucinogens, inhalants, opioids, sedatives, hypnotics, anxiolytics, stimulants, tobacco, other (or unknown) substance, gambling disorder, internet gaming disorder (possibly)
Short-term effects of alcohol
reduced coordination, diminished cognitive ability (e.g. decision-making), aggression and emotionality, accidents
Long-term effects of alcohol
liver damage, cardiovascular disease, various types of cancer, depression, alcohol use disorder, brain damage (e.g. korsakoff syndrome)
Alcohol use disorder
a problematic pattern of alcohol use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress
When is mild, moderate, and severe substance use disorder diagnosed?
when use is accompanied within a year by 2 or more criteria outlined in the DSM-5 for mild, 4 or 5 for moderate, and 6 or more for severe within a 12-month period
What is considered binge-drinking or “problem drinking?”
when one has at least 5 drinks in 1 sitting at least once a month
6 factors of dependence in all addictive substances
reinforcement, avoiding withdrawal, substance-related cues, expectancies, personality and emotions, genetics
Delirium tremens or the DTs
withdrawal symptom for people addicted to alcohol which involves anxiety, tremors, frightening hallucinations when blood alcohol level drops
Substance-related cues
specific internal and environmental stimuli that are regularly present when people use substances and are developed through classical conditioning
Incentive-sensitization theory of addiction
dopamine enhances the salience of stimuli associated with substance use, making them more powerful in directing behavior
Expectancies
ideas about the outcomes of behavior from one’s own experiences and from watching other people
Personality and emotional traits seen in those who use or abuse substances
those who tend to be impulsive, high in risk-taking or sensation-seeking, low in self-regulation, depressed, anxious, and have had adverse childhood experiences
Findings on genetic influence in addiction
(1) smoking and drinking are affected by different genes; (2) social factors are more influential in adolescence while genetic factors are more influential in adulthood; (3) high levels of parental involvement can counteract a child’s high genetic risk for substance use; (4) epigenetic processes are important
What are the primary forces that lead adolescents to begin smoking?
psychosocial factors (e.g. modeling, peer pressure, reinforcement)
Personal characteristics that increase the likelihood of smoking
low self-esteem, concern about body weight, being rebellious and a thrill-seeker
3 biological routes that increase likelihood of smoking
(1) a mother’s smoking during pregnancy; (2) heredity; (3) area of the brain called the insula may control the desire to smoke