Psychoactive drugs and addiction

Question 1

Nesse (1997) negative emotion blockers

Answer 1

Drugs can normalise or compensate for psychopathology
For example, a panic attack could save the life of a hunter fleeing from a lion, but cost a drivers on an expressway
The brain was designed to benefit genes, not people. So, improving our quality of life by blocking emotions that are no longer adaptive in modern situations is helpful, and a ‘shortcut’, helping us adapt to our mismatched environment

Question 2

Positive emotion stimulants

Answer 2

Drugs of abuse act on brain areas that mediate incentive ‘wanting’ behaviour. They signal an arrival of a huge fitness benefit. Can displace adaptive behaviours because they are a super stimulus. Comparable to junk food over nutritious HG food
Pleasure comes from non-reproductive activities, their is a mismatch

Question 3

Drug addiction (Nesse)

Answer 3

We’re vulnerable to addiction because our brains aren’t designed to cope with ready access to drugs and snack foods, but to HG conditions where these were not available.

Question 4

Future?

Answer 4

The situation is likely to worsen… We can develop interventions and treatment, but our craving for drugs producing pleasure and vulnerability to addition is hardwired in our nervous system. We haven’t had enough time to evolve protective mechanisms

Question 5

Non-genetic differences can affect susceptibility to addiction

Answer 5

People not succeeding socially: are likely to experience positive emotions less, negative emotions more, take more drugs and be less responsive to treatment

Question 6

Liking and wanting systems

Answer 6

Liking is activated by reward, wanting anticipates it and motivates instrumental behaviours. When exposed to drugs, the wanting system motivates persistent pursuit, even when drugs no longer give pleasure. This system is the reason we see such bizarre behaviours in drug addicts as giving up everything in life and getting in huge amounts of debt to pursue the drug