introduction to addiction Flashcards
what is physical dependence?
taking a substance because it evokes a change in physical state
when is it only possible to establish whether someone is physically dependent on a substance?
when they abstain from the substance
what is psychological dependence?
taking a substance to maintain a certain psychological state/mood
what is one consequence of psychological dependence?
an individual will keep engaging in a behaviour until it becomes a habit, despite the negative consequences associated with it
what is tolerance?
a reduction in response to a substance, which means that the addicted individual needs more to get the same effect
what is tolerance caused by?
repeated exposure to effects of a substance
what is behavioural tolerance?
an individual learns through exposure to adjust their behaviour to compensate for the effects of a substance
give an example of behavioural tolerance
alcoholics learn through exposure to walk more slowly when drunk to avoid falling over
what is cross-tolerance?
when developing a tolerance to one type of substance (e.g. alcohol) can reduce sensitivity to another type (e.g. benzodiazepines)
give an example of how can cross-tolerance be used therapeutically
e.g. by giving benzodiazepines to people withdrawing from alcohol to reduce the withdrawal syndrome
what is withdrawal syndrome?
a set of symptoms that develop when an addicted person abstains from/reduces their substance abuse
what does the existence of withdrawal indicate that?
a physical dependence has developed
true or false?
motivation for continuing to take a substance is partly to avoid withdrawal symptoms
true
true or false?
symptoms of withdrawal are usually the same as the ones created by the substance
false - they are the opposite
give 2 examples of physical withdrawal symptoms
~ insomnia
~ weight gain/loss
give 2 examples of psychological withdrawal symptoms
~ anxiety
~ irritability
what is the first stage of withdrawal + what happens during this?
acute withdrawal phase
~ begins within hours of abstaining + features intense cravings, reflecting a strong dependence
~ symptoms diminish gradually over days
what is the second stage of withdrawal + what happens during this?
prolonged withdrawal phase
~ includes symptoms that occur for months/years
~ the individual becomes highly sensitive to the cues they associate with the substance
what are the 5 risk factors for addiction?
~ genetic vulnerability
~ peer influence
~ family influence
~ stress
~ personality
true or false?
people can inherit addictions
false - they only inherit a vulnerability to dependence, not the actual addiction itself
how may family influence addictions?
living in a family which uses addictive substances/has positive attitudes about addiction may increase a person’s likelihood of becoming addicted themselves
why may people who experience stress turn to drugs?
as a form of self-medication
what kinds of personality traits may increase risk of addiction?
traits such as hostility or neuroticism
true or false?
peers’ attitudes towards addiction are just as influential as using a drug itself
true
what is one limitation of these risk factors?
focusing on individual risk factors means that we ignore effects of interactions + also may ignore positive effects
what would be a positive effect of these risk factors?
they may also be protective - e.g. personality traits/family/peers can reduce the risk of addiction
what is one strength of these risk factors?
looking at risk factors together point to overriding interactions with genes
why is genetic vulnerability likely to be the most significant risk factor?
it has the ultimate influence on the other risk factors - e.g. how we respond to stress and the extent to which we seek new experiences (personality) is partly genetic
