Health - 9 Flashcards
What is substance abuse
A maladaptive pattern of substance use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, manifested by three or more of the following within a 12 month period
The need for increased amounts to achieve be the desired effects =
= finished effects with continued use
Give some examples of stimulants
Caffeine, Nicotine , Amphetamines
What do stimulants do to neural activity and why do people take them
Stimulate neural activity
Activate flight-fight responses
Widely abused due to rewarding effects
Can lead to rapid and physical and psychological dependence
Give some examples of some depressants
Opiates, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, alcohol
What do depressants do to neural activity
Depresses neural activity to produce changes in mood such as lethargy, drowsiness, reduced sensory responding
When are depressant drugs effective
Can act on GABA and suppressing neural activity, can be effective in the treatment of anxiety and sleep problems
Give some examples of hallucinogens
Cannabis, ecstasy, psychedelics, MDMA
What do hallucinogens do
Hallucinogens alter sesnsory perception and induce visual and auditory hallucinations
What is the effect of agonist drugs
Drugs that enhance actions of neurotransmitters
What do drug antagonists do
Drugs that Inhibit actions of a neurotransmitter
What is addiction
Repeated consumption of a substance and characterised by physical and psychological dependence
What are the two aspects of physical dependence on drugs
Tolerance - being dry requires larger doses to maintain the same effects - neuroadaptation
Withdrawal - unpleasant symptoms occur when addicted behaviour is discontinued
What is psychological dependence
Need to continue consumption for the behavioural effects, despite being aware of potential negative outcomes
What the biological model for addiction
Brain reward pathway - part of limbic system
BRP reinforced and rewards naturally adaptive or evolutionary advantageous behaviours such as eating drinking and social interaction, it does this via the release of a neurochemical dopamine which elicits pleasurable feelings - feedback to repeat these behaviours
What is the psychological imitation theory of addiction
Behaviour is imitated and if someone close engages in this behaviour even if it has negative outcomes we will copy it
What is the classical conditioning model of addiction
We learn to associate alcohol with pleasurable occasions, and we are more likely to develope a social life centred around these kinds of pleasurable behaviours
What is the operant conditioning theory of addiction
We are rewarded for negative behaviours, with pleasurable sensations, euphoria, social connectivity and reduced pain. This makes it more likely we will keep doing it, therefore harder to quit
What is the vicarious reinforcement argument for addiction
See the benefits of drug taking in others - social benefits - so do it ourselves
What is the availability argument for addiction
The more easily available a substance is not he more likely people will take it
What has been shown between alcohol price and consumption
The cheaper the alcohol the more litres consumed
Explain the personality aspect of addiction
Some personality traits increase the likelihood of substance misuse
Inadequate traits - traits the lead to use as a form of escapism - anxiety, low self esteem
Problem behaviour prone - traits that lead to substance use as experimentation
Why are drugs so difficult to give up
Withdrawal
Pleasurebale rewards
What is abstinence
Going without the drug
Most powerful first steps in treating addictive behaviour
Get the substance out of the system and eliminate dependance
Abstinence can be aided by pharmalogical treatment
What is relapse
More that 50% of patients treated for alcohol relapse in past 3 months
Stress triggered relapse are most common
