Reducing Addiction- Drug Therapy Flashcards
What are the 2 types of drug treatments for reducing addiction?
- Antagonist drugs
- Agonist drugs
How do agonist drugs work?
By acting as a substitute for the addictive substance and producing a similar effect to the drug itself
How do antagonist drug works?
By acting as an obstruction for the drug and preventing it causing its usual effect
What is an agonist substitution?
Nicotine replacement therapy
What are some examples of nicotine replacement therapy?
- Patches (step 1 will have a certain amount of mg and step 2 will have a higher amount of mg)
- Gum/lozenges
- Inhalor/spray
What is nicotine replacement therapies mode of action?
- Works by releasing a clean controlled dose of nicotine into the bloodstream
- This nicotine binds to nicotine acetylcholine receptors in the mesolimbic pathway which stimulates the response of dopamine
- The amount of nicotine can be gradually reduced over time, reducing the severity of withdrawal symptoms
What is an example of an antagonist?
Bupropion
What is the bupropion mode of action?
- Appears to be an antagonist at nicotinic receptors and may work in part by blocking nicotine effects, so that there is no rise in dopamine levels when you smoke a cigarette
- It’s also a weak inhibitor of dopamine and noradrenaline reuptake, which leads to an overall increase in dopamine whilst taking the drug. This may help to relieve withdrawal symptoms and reduce depressed mood which could help in reducing the chance of a relapse
- This treatment generally lasts 7-12 weeks with a week of treatment before the smoker attempts to stop smoking
If the point is:
A strength of drug therapy to reduce addiction is that there is evidence to support the long term effectiveness of NRT inhalers and bupropion in smoking cessation.
What is the evidence and link?
Evidence- Stead et al reviewed 150 studies into the effectiveness of nicotine replacement therapy. He found it was more effective than a placebo treatment or no treatment at all, with NRT users being up to 70% more likely to still be abstaining from smoking 6 months after quitting than other groups.
Link- This implies that the use of drug therapy can help people quit smoking.
If the point is:
A weakness of drug therapy to reduce addiction is that like biological interventions such as NRT and Bupropion ignore the underlying reasons for why people smoke in the first place, and can be said to mask the real cause of smoking.
What is the explanation and link?
Explanation- These treatments cannot change personality traits such as neuroticism. They also fail to modify any genetic faults or challenge and replace faulty cognitions or reduce sensitivity to cues associated with smoking. As the problem isn’t tackled, it may lead to a higher chance of relapse.
Link- This means that, once the therapy stops, many with relapse to their old smoking habits, suggesting drug therapies alone may be ineffective in the long term. As a result, cognitive therapies may be seen as more effective.
If the point is:
A strength of drug therapy to reduce addiction is that, for example, NRT’s may require less effort from the individual rather than cognitive therapies.
What is the explanation and link?
Explanation- For example, little motivation and effort is required from the individual to stick a patch on their arm, chew gum or take a pill each day. Also, time commitments are minimal unlike other therapies that require dedication and time out of busy schedules. For instance, CBT usually recommends at least 6 1 hour long sessions, which is a lot more time consuming.
Link- For this reason, more people might engage with them and they may contribute more to the cessation of addictive behaviours, particularly in the short term.
If the point is:
A weakness of drug therapy to reduce addiction is that some argue that drug therapies, such as NRT, remove the responsibility from the individual, as it essentially sees smoking as a disease that can be treated and cured without conscious effort from the individual themselves.
What is the explanation and link?
Explanation- The sheer fact that NRT still relies upon the individuals will power and personal autonomy to be successful suggests this view is unhelpful and that perhaps combining NRT with CBT may lead to much more success.
Link- This means that drug therapies such as NRT and Bupropion can be made more effective when combined with other psychological therapies.
What are the evaluation points for drug therapy to reduce addiction?
+ There is evidence to support the long term effectiveness of nicotine replacement therapy inhalers and bupropion in smoking cessation
– Biological interventions like nicotine replacement therapy and bupropion ignore the underlying reasons for why people smoke in the first place, and can be said to mask the real cause of smoking
+ Drug therapies, such as nicotine replacement therapy, may require less effort from the individual than cognitive therapies
– Some argue that drug therapies, such as nicotine replacement therapy, remove the responsibility from the individual as it essentially sees smoking as a disease that can be treated and cured without conscious effort from the individual themselves.
