Psychoapthology final Flashcards
addiction usually refers to
severe substance use disorder, but the term is not actually in the DSM
DSM criteria for substance use disorder
Problematic pattern of use that impairs functioning. Two or more symptoms within a 1-year period:
- Failure to meet obligations
- Repeated use in situations where it is physically dangerous
- Repeated relationship problems
*Continued use despite problems caused by thesubstance - Tolerance
- Withdrawal
- Substance taken for a longer time or in greater amounts than
intended
*Efforts to reduce or control use do not work - Much time spent trying to obtain the substance
*Social, hobbies, or work activities given up or reduced - Craving to use the substance is strong
Severity ratings for SUD in DSM
Mild: 2-3 criteria met
Moderate: 4-5 criteria met
Severe: 6 or more criteria met
Tolerance
indicated by either (1) larger doses of the substance being needed to produce the desired effect or (2) the effects of the drug becoming markedly less if the usual amount is taken
Withdrawal
the negative physical and psychological effects that develop when a person stops taking the substance or reduces the amount
delirium tremens
delirious symptoms when blood alcohol level drops suddenly
short term effects of alcohol
- acts on gaba receptors in similar way to xanax, stimulating relaxation
- inhibits glutamate receptors, which may cause cognitive effects
- in one study on alcohol effects on driving, the areas of the brain affected were related monitoring errors and making decisions (the anterior cingulate and orbitofrontal cortex)
cognitive effects of marijuana
linked to its action on cannaboid receptors in hippocampus and around that area
opioid prevalence
More than 800,000 people over age 12 in the United States reported using heroin in 2015, a slight decline from 2014 but an increase of over 30 percent from 2013
opioids
drugs that are derived from opium: morphine, heroin and codeine
Genetic factors of SUDs
- Children of problem drinkers have higher than average use of alcohol
- Greater concordance in identical than fraternal twins for alcohol use disorder
College campus–specific risk factors for substance use
- fraternity or sorority membership
- low perception of harm
- peer influences
- time of transition
- poor academic performance
- binge drinking
why were drugs banned?
Nixon’s war on drugs was way of controlling pacifist hippies (antiwar left) and black people
Drug with highest score for harm to others
Alchohol
Drugs with greatest score for harm to users
heroin and crack
The gist of the 12 step program
admitting powerlessness over alcohol, once an addict always an addict, looking to God and asking him to forgive shortcomings, etc.
Is addiction a brain
disease? Interpretation options of Higher dopamine receptor availability in non-addicted individuals
- Reversible brain dysfunction caused by drug use
- Irreversible brain dysfunction caused by drug use
- Other reason for these differences
What happens in the brain during intoxication
drug-induced activation of
the brain’s reward regions (in blue) is enhanced
by conditioned cues in areas of increased
sensitization (in green). During withdrawal, the
activation of brain regions involved in emotions
(in pink) results in negative mood and
enhanced sensitivity to stress
behavioral changes that happen in drug addiction
voluntary action (abstinence, constrained drug taking) –> sometimes taking when not intending, having trouble stopping, sometimes taking more than intended –> impulsive action (relapse, compulsive consumption)
What are the usual psychological characteristics of individuals who are successful with moderate drinking?
Are psychologically stable
Are well educated
Are steadily employed
Don’t regard themselves as ‘alcoholic’ or ‘problem drinkers’
Don’t subscribe to the disease concept of alcohol problems
Believe controlled drinking is possible
Develop alternatives to drinking as a means of coping with stress
arguments for abstinence being the goal for addicts
- logical treatment goal, because most direct approach
- about half of individuals presenting for treatment are able to achieve abstinence
- people who are dependent on alcohol find that their attempts at controlled drinking are extremely difficult and typically unsuccessful
- it cannot precisely be determined what kinds of people are suited for successful moderation
- professional’s goal to state
drug use has been shown to stimulate what system and why/how (the two models)
dopamine system - particularly mesolimbic pathway
evidence for both problems with pathway leading to vulnerability of some people to substance abuse (vulnerability model), and substance abuse leading to problems with pathway (toxic effect model)
incentive sensitization theory
explains cravings
the dopamine system becomes super-sensitive to the effects of drugs and cues associated with drugs (craving). transition from liking to craving, as a result of drug’s effects on pathways involving dopamine. even cues for a drug can activate the reward and pleasure areas of the brain implicated in drug use
more craving associated with higher likelihood of use
delay discounting and alcoholism
People who are dependent substances discount delayed rewards more steeply than do people not dependent on these substances. value immediate reward as opposed to delayed reward
brain region associated with immediate reward
amygdala and nucleus accumbens
brain region associated with delayed reward
prefrontal cortex
psychological aspects of drug use: emotion regulation
alcohol:
- reduces anxiety and stress under uncertainty, and dampens emotional responses in anxiety-inducing settings
nicotine:
- more relief at intitiation of smoking and after abstinence
- act of inhaling more effective than nicotine
role of distraction:
- effects positive with distraction, negative without
role of expectancies about drugs
people use drugs because they expect it will reduce negative emotions, make them more sociable etc. even if they actually dont. classic experiment: people who thought they were drinking alcohol but were not, behaved more aggressively, suggesting expectancies about alcohol’s effects may play a role.
personality factors in substance use
low constraint, high negative affect and emotionality predict onset of substance use
also low levels of agreeableness and conscientiousness
sociocultural factors of alcohol consumption
cross-national: men drink more than women
but, varies by the extent to which they drink more across countries, suggesting cultural prescriptions about men drinking more than women are important to consider
social networks; more likely to smoke if peers smoke, or drink alcohol if exposed to alcohol use by parents, etc.
two explanations for how social environment is related to substance us
social influence model
social selection model
- suggests people who are inclined to develop substance use disorder may select social networks that confrom to their own drinking standards
inpatient treatment for alcoholics
the first step is detoxification - withdrawal symptoms are supervised
alcoholics anonymous treatment for alcoholics
- disease view: foundation is that once an addict, always an addict
- during sessions, participants provide testimonials about their addiction and how their lives have improved with the help of AA
- ## provides emotional support, understanding and network - members can call on each other in times of need
problems with alcoholics anonymous
- dropout rate; possibly a result of the program’s strict stance on abstinence
- review found little benefit over other types of treatment
couples therapy for alcoholics
combines the skills covered in individual cognitive behavior therapy, with a focus on the couple’s relationship and dealing with alcohol-related stressors. A meta-analysis of 12 studies found that behaviorally oriented couples therapy was more effective than individual treatment approaches
motivational interventions for alcoholism
1) timeline follow back interview
2) individualized feedback about a person’s drinking in relation to community and national averages, education about the effects of alcohol, and tips for reducing harm and moderating drinking
TLFB was enough to decrease drinking behavior, but in combination with motivation intervention, longer-lasting reduction in drinking was associated up to 1 year