defining addiction

Question 1

what is physical dependence

Answer 1

results of a LT use (weeks/ months)
- physiological need for a drug, marked by unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when the drug is discontinued (tremors with alcohol cessation)
- normal day-to-day functioning can become reliant on the substance (having alcohol before work)
- often accompanied by tolerance (requires increased doses in order to obtain the same desired effect)

Question 2

what is psychological dependence

Answer 2

• mental and emotional craving for the drug
• indv feel/ thinks they cannot cope with work + social life w/o drug
• absence of drug causes the indv to feel anxious, irritable/ depressed
  = addiction is in the MIND + becomes the control focus to the person’s life

Question 3

what is tolerance
and 3 different type of tolerances

Answer 3

the diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of drug/ behaviour
- requires user to take larger + larger doses before experiencing the same effect
- metabolic = enzymes responsible for breaking down drug become effective, reducing its effect
- neuroadaptation = changes at synapse occur (downregulation) - may make receptors less sensitive, reducing drug effect
- learned = result of practise, person has learned to function normally whilst under the influence of drug

Question 4

what is withdrawal
and 2 types of withdrawal

Answer 4

unpleasant physical/ psychological effects following discontinued use of a drug
(tremors, vomiting)
- effects are the consequence of the body reacting to the cessation of drug - often leads onto relapse as users find withdrawal symptoms intolerable

• acute withdrawal: within hours but usually stops within weeks)
• post-acute withdrawal: brain slowly reorganises, could take months/ years)