Mental Health: Substance Abuse Flashcards
Criteria for ‘dependence’
Three or more of :
- Strong desire / compulsion to take the substance
- Impaired control of substance taking behaviour in terms of onset, termination or levels of use
- Physiological withdrawal state when use is reduced or stopped
- Tolerance to effects of the substance leading to increased use
- Preoccupation with use, to exclusion of other pleasures or interests
- Persistence despite clear harm
What’s intoxication?
- Follows administration of a psychoactive substance
- Disturbances in:
–Level of consciousness
–Cognition
–Perception
–Affect
–Behaviour
- Disturbance directly related to effect of the substance
- Resolve with time
What’s harmful use?
- Pattern of psychoactive substance use that is causing damage to health
- Clear evidence of harm → physical or psychological
- Nature of the harm should be identifiable
- Pattern of use has persisted for at least one month, or has occurred repeatedly over a 12 month period
What’s Salience/Primacy?
- Obtaining & using the substance takes over
- Other interests & pursuits are neglected
What’s tolerance?
- Increased doses of the psychoactive substance are required to achieve effects originally produced by lower doses
- Contributes to escalation of use
What’s narrowing of repertoire?
Loss in variation in the use of the substance
What’s Reinstatement?
Occurs after a period of abstinence, when the patient re-starts the substance and rapidly increases use to previous harmful levels
Hx in substance abuse
Stages of change
Pre Contemplation
–Person feels there is no problem, though others recognise it
Contemplation
–Person weighs up pros & cons and considers if change is necessary
Decision
–Person decides to act (or not)
Action
–Person chooses strategy for change & pursues it
Maintenance
–Gains are maintained & consolidated
Relapse
–Return to previous pattern, but relapse may help learning
What’s the relationship between psychiatric illness and substance misuse?
- ntoxication & / or dependence may lead to psychological symptoms and social difficulties
- Substance misuse & / or withdrawal may cause psychiatric symptoms or illness & may trigger illness in those who are predisposed
Safe levels of alcohol intake
Men & Women now advised:
2-3 units / day
14 units / week
Harmful levels of alcohol intake
Harmful levels:
–Women > 6 units / day = >35 units / week
–Men > 8 units / day = >50 units / week
Aetiology of alcohol dependence
- Gender → Males > females
- Genetics → 25-50% of predisposition may be inherited
- Occupation → Publicans, doctors, journalists, salesmen, actors, entertainers, seamen
- Social → childhood difficulties / problems, parental separation, low educational achievement
Symptoms of alcohol intoxication
- Relaxation & euphoria followed by disinhibition, various emotional states (irritable, weepy, morose), impulsive & irresponsible behaviour
- Slurred speech, ataxia, sedation, confusion, flushed face, nystagmus, conjunctival injection
Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal with timeframe
- symptoms start at 6-12 hours: tremor, sweating, tachycardia, anxiety
- peak incidence of seizures at 36 hours
- peak incidence of delirium tremens is at 48-72 hours: coarse tremor, confusion, delusions, auditory and visual hallucinations, fever, tachycardia
Mechanism of alcohol withdrawal
- chronic alcohol consumption enhances GABA mediated inhibition in the CNS (similar to benzodiazepines) and inhibits NMDA-type glutamate receptors
- alcohol withdrawal is thought to be lead to the opposite (decreased inhibitory GABA and increased NMDA glutamate transmission)
Physical complications of alcohol abuse
Liver
–Hepatitis
–Cirrhosis in 10 – 20% of dependent persons
Gastrointestinal
–Pancreatitis
–Oesophageal varices
–Gastritis
–Peptic ulceration
Neurological
–Peripheral neuropathy
–Seizures
–Dementia
Cancer
–Bowel, breast, oesophageal & liver all associated
Cardiovascular
–Hypertension & cardiomyopathy
Head injury / accidents
–Risk increased while intoxicated
Foetal alcohol syndrome
–In infants born to those who drink during pregnancy
Management of alcohol withdrawal
- patients with a history of complex withdrawals from alcohol (i.e. delirium tremens, seizures, blackouts) should be admitted to hospital for monitoring until withdrawals stabilised
- firstline: benzodiazepines e.g. chlordiazepoxide.
Lorazepam may be preferable in patients with hepatic failure. Typically given as part of a reducing dose protocol
- carbamazepine also effective in treatment of alcohol withdrawal
- phenytoin* is said not to be as effective in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal seizures
Examples of one unit of alcohol
- 25ml single measure of spirits (ABV 40%)
- a third of a pint of beer (ABV 5 to 6%)
- half a 175ml ‘standard’ glass of red wine (ABV 12%)
Psychological complications of alcohol dependence
- Depression & Anxiety rates increased (also self medication can lead to dependence)
- Self harm & suicide risk increased
- Amnesia / blackouts (due to intoxication
- Cognitive impairment
–Alcoholic dementia
–Korsakoff’s psychosis
- Alcoholic hallucinations
- Morbid Jealousy
How to calculate a number of units in a drink?
To calculate the number of units in a drink multiply the number of millilitres by the ABV and divide by 1,000. For example:
- half a 175ml ‘standard’ glass of red wine = 87.5 * 12 / 1000 = 1.05 units
- one bottle of wine = 750 * 12 / 1000 = 9 units
- one pint of 5% beer or lager = 568 * 5 / 1000 = 2.8 units
Drugs used in detoxification
Detoxification
- Benzodiazepines
- Vitamins (Thiamine)
Relapse prevention
- Psychological support (group, individual, AA)
- Medical
- Acamprosate – reduces craving
- Disulfiram – induces flushing if alcohol taken
Medications used in relapse prevention (alcohol)
- Acamprosate →reduces craving
- Disulfiram → induces flushing if alcohol taken
MoA of Disulfiram
- contraindications
disulfram → promotes abstinence - alcohol intake causes severe reaction due to inhibition of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase
Patients should be aware that even small amounts of alcohol (e.g. In perfumes, foods, mouthwashes) can produce severe symptoms.
Contraindications: ischaemic heart disease and psychosis