Drug Abuse

Question 1

What is drug addition?

Answer 1

Compulsive use of a drug with loss of control over drug intake
(Lecture 15, Slide 6)

Question 2

What can abuse of drugs lead to?

Answer 2

Addiction
(Lecture 15, Slide 7)

Question 3

How is someone diagnosed with substance dependence?

Answer 3

3 or more of the following occurring in a 12 month period;
Tolerance
Withdrawal
Excess
Time-consuming
Neglect
Incaution
(Lecture 15, Slides 8 and 9)

Question 4

What is tolerance in the context of substance dependance?

Answer 4

The need to increase the amount of drug intake to obtain the desired intoxication
(Lecture 15, Slide 8)

Question 5

What is withdrawal in the context of substance dependance?

Answer 5

Unpleasant symptoms when the drug is stopped, with the same or similar drug being taken to relieve this
(Lecture 15, Slide 8)

Question 6

What is excess in the context of substance dependence?

Answer 6

Taking the drug for a longer period or in larger quantity than is intended
(Lecture 15, Slide 9)

Question 7

What is time-consuming in the context of substance dependence?

Answer 7

Large amount of time devoted to activities to obtain substance, or to recover from it’s effects
(Lecture 15, Slide 9)

Question 8

What is neglect in the context of substance dependence?

Answer 8

Important occupational and / or social activities reduced / given up because of drug use
(Lecture 15, Slide 9)

Question 9

What is incaution in the context of substance dependence?

Answer 9

Continued use of substance despite knowledge that it may be harmful to health
(Lecture 15, Slide 9)

Question 10

What 3 things drives drug seeking behaviour?

Answer 10

Desire for pleasurable effects (rewarding properties)
Avoidance of unpleasant adverse effects (withdrawal)
Learned effects (conditioning)
(Lecture 15, Slide 11)

Question 11

What is a conditioned response?

Answer 11

Continued taking of a drug paired with a pleasurable activity e.g in social settings or to accompany sexual experiences
(Lecture 15, Slide 12)

Question 12

What does conditioned response lead to?

Answer 12

Paired association
(Lecture 15, Slide 12)

Question 13

What is paired association?

Answer 13

Drug taking continues in absence of prior pleasurable activity (conditioned response is replaced)
(Lecture 15, Slide 13)

Question 14

How does the type of drug effect dependence?

Answer 14

Some drugs are more addictive than others
(Lecture 15, Slide 14)

Question 15

What is the most harmful drug?

Answer 15

Alcohol
(Lecture 15, Slide 25)

Question 16

How do drug addictions work?

Answer 16

All drugs of addiction are psychoactive and affect the brain in some way, to alter mood, reality perception etc.
This reward is the basis of addiction
(Lecture 15, Slide 27)

Question 17

What is the reward pathway supposed to drive?

Answer 17

A positive survival behaviour
(Lecture 15, Slide 28)

Question 18

What does the reward pathway involve?

Answer 18

A neuronal circuit that uses the neurotransmitter dopamine
(Lecture 15, Slide 28)

Question 19

Why are drugs “pleasurable”?

Answer 19

Most drugs of dependence directly or indirectly increase levels of dopamine, therefore they are hijacking the reward system
(Lecture 15, Slide 29)

Question 20

Which drugs have strong dependence risks?

Answer 20

Opiates (narcotics), Psychomotor stimulants and CNS depressants
(Lecture 15, Slide 31)

Question 21

What is detoxification?

Answer 21

Detoxification - “cleansing” the person of drugs and dealing with acute withdrawal symptoms
(Lecture 15, Slide 32)

Question 22

How is craving triggered and what can it cause?

Answer 22

It’s often stimulated by the situation in which the drug was previously taken, and may lead to a relapse
(Lecture 15, Slide 32)

Question 23

What, other than cravings, can trigger a relapse?

Answer 23

Stressful life situations
(Lecture 15, Slide 32)

Question 24

What do some drugs appear to maintain even after addition is dealt with?

Answer 24

Abstinence (the act of restraining yourself from indulging from something , e.g alcohol
(Lecture 15, Slide 33)