Health Compromising Behaviours

Question 1

What are health-compromising behaviours?

Answer 1

behaviours practiced by people that undermine or harm their current or future health

Question 2

What is the difference between substance abuse and dependence?

Answer 2

substance abuse is a pattern of recurrent use leading to damaging consequences

substance dependance is a more severe disorder associated with physiological signs of dependance (withdrawal syndrome) or compulsive use of a substance (addiction)

Question 3

What are the withdrawal symtoms for alcohol?

Answer 3

dry mouth, nausea, elevated blood pressure, headaches, insomnia, depression

chronic alcoholism withdrawal produces delirium tremens (DTs)

Question 4

What are the signs of delirium tremens?

Answer 4

profuse sweating, tachycardia, halucinations, delirium (mental confusion)

Question 5

What defines alcohol dependence?

Answer 5

withdrawal symptoms when abstaining from alcohol

high tolerance for alcohol

little ability to control drinking

Question 6

Alcohol dependence and over-consumption begins via a mechanism first involving operant conditioning; which one of the following terms best describes how alcohol over-consumption can first develop?

negative reinforcement

positive reinforcement

sensory reward

vicarious learning

Answer 6

positive reinforcement: feelings of intoxication & euphoria; also psychological rewards, enhanced social life

all drugs of abuse target the brain’s reward pathways

dopamine levels are elevated when alcohol is consumed