Chapter 3 Flashcards
Why is addiction treatment important for all health and social service professionals?
Addiction treatment is important for all health and social service professionals because even in the 21st century, training rarely offers sufficient background to treat addictions, and generalist training may provide 80% of competence but lacks the remaining 20% of necessary skills.
What is one important core competence for addiction treatment?
A basic working knowledge of psychoactive drugs and their effects is an important core competence for addiction treatment.
What are the four major routes of drug administration?
The four major routes of drug administration are ingestion, inhalation, intranasal, and injection.
How does ingestion work as a route of drug administration?
Drugs ingested by mouth pass into the gastrointestinal system, where they are absorbed into the bloodstream through the lining of the stomach and large intestine.
Why is inhalation a fast method of drug administration?
Inhalation is fast because the lungs have a rich blood supply, allowing drugs to pass into the bloodstream within seconds.
What is a risk associated with intravenous drug injection?
Intravenous drug injection is risky because it is the most rapid method for getting a drug into the bloodstream, can cause vein collapse, infections, and is the most common route of fatal overdoses.
How are drugs eliminated from the body?
Drugs are metabolized by the liver, excreted through the kidneys in urine, expelled in air from the lungs, sweat through the skin, or in breast milk.
What does the term ‘half-life’ mean in pharmacology?
Half-life refers to the length of time required for the body to reduce the drug level by half.
How do psychoactive drugs affect neurotransmitters?
Psychoactive drugs interact with neural systems by mimicking, enhancing, or blocking neurotransmitter activity to produce their effects.
What is drug tolerance?
Drug tolerance is when repeated use of a psychoactive drug reduces its potency, requiring larger doses to achieve the same effect.
What are the major classes of psychoactive drugs?
The major classes of psychoactive drugs include stimulants, sedatives, opiates, psychedelics, cannabis, and steroids.
What is the primary effect of stimulants?
Stimulants increase activity in dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin systems, leading to euphoria, alertness, and increased energy.
What happens during stimulant withdrawal?
Stimulant withdrawal can cause anxiety, depression, fatigue, drowsiness, increased appetite, and paranoia.
How do sedatives affect the central nervous system?
Sedatives suppress the central nervous system by enhancing GABA activity and suppressing glutamate, leading to relaxation and drowsiness.
What are the risks of mixing sedatives and alcohol?
Mixing sedatives and alcohol can potentiate effects, leading to increased sedation, impaired coordination, and a high risk of fatal overdose.
How do opiates relieve pain?
Opiates mimic endorphins and artificially stimulate the body’s analgesic system, relieving pain and producing euphoria.
What are the withdrawal symptoms of opiates?
Opiate withdrawal symptoms include sweating, insomnia, muscle aches, agitation, and flu-like symptoms.
What makes psychedelics different from other drugs of abuse?
Psychedelics do not produce withdrawal symptoms, are not self-administered by animals, and induce unpredictable hallucinations and perceptual distortions.
What are the effects of cannabis on the brain?
Cannabis suppresses glutamate, slowing reflexes and movement, decreasing attention and concentration, and impairing memory and learning.
What are the long-term risks of substance abuse?
Long-term risks include dependence, toxicity, organ damage, mental health disorders, social consequences, and fetal effects.
What is the main risk of fetal drug exposure?
Fetal drug exposure can cause birth defects, growth retardation, neurological damage, and developmental disorders like Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS).
What is the purpose of the U.S. drug scheduling system?
The U.S. drug scheduling system classifies drugs based on their potential for abuse, with Schedule I drugs having the highest risk and no accepted medical use.
Why is addiction treatment integrated with broader health and social services?
Addiction treatment is integrated with broader services because individuals with substance use disorders often have multiple health, social, and psychological problems.
