Reducing addiction: Drug therapy Flashcards
Aversives
Reducing addiction: Drug therapy
Produce unpleasant consequences (e.g. vomit)
Disulfiram is used to treat alcoholism by creating hypersensitivity to alcohol
If person takes disulfiram & alcoholic drink w/in 5 mins they will experience severe hangover-like symptoms (nausea)
Experiences is associated w/ alcohol (classical conditioning)
Agonists
Reducing addiction: Drug therapy
Substance substitutes - activate neuron receptors, providing similar effect to addictive substance
Methadone (treats heroine addiction) satisfies addicts craving for euphoria
Fewer harmful side effects & ‘cleaner’ as they’re administered medically
Agonists stabilise individual because they’re used to control withdrawal syndrome, allowing gradual reduction in dose
Antagonists
Reducing addiction: Drug therapy
Treat addiction by blocking receptor sites so that substance can’t have usual effects, especially feelings of euphoria
Naltrexone is opiod antagonist to treat physciological dependence of heroin addiction
However, other interventions (e.g. counselling) should be used alongside drug therapy to tackle psychosocial causes of addiction
Drug therapy for nicotine addiction
Reducing addiction: Drug therapy
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) uses gum, inhaler or patches to deliever psychoactive substance in tobacco smoke in less harmful way
NRT provides clean controlled dose of nicotine which operate neurochemically as agonist which activates nAChRs in mesolimbic pathway (MP)
Stimulates relase of DA in nucleus accumbens (NA) - just like in smoking
Using NRT means amount of nic can be reduced over time
Withdrawal syndrome can also be managed
Drug therapy for gambling addiction
Reducing addiction: Drug therapy
No drugs currently approved to treat gambling addiction
Ongoing research into several candidates, most promising is opiod antagonists such as naltrexone - DSM5 recognised similarities between gambling & heroin addictions
Neurochemical explanation of gambling addiction is this taps into same DA reward system as heroin, nicotine & other drugs
Opiod antagonists enhance release of GABA in MP which reduced release DA in NA (& ulimately frontal cortex)
Linked ti research (Kim et al) w/ reductions in gambling
Evaluation: Research support
Reducing addiction: Drug therapy
Strength - research shows drug therapy is effective
Hartmann-Boyce et al (2018) conducted meta-analysis of 136 studies into effectiveness of NRT - 65,000 ppts
Concluded all forms of NRT were sigly more effective in helping smoker quit than both placebo & no therapy
NRT products increased rate of quitting up to 60%
Research indicated NRT doesn’t appear to foster dependence
There4, NRT is effective therapy which may save lives & reduce costs to NHS
Evaluation: Research support (Counterpoint)
Reducing addiction: Drug therapy
However, only published studies used
Risk of publication bias because these studies are more likely to show pos results
Studies w/ non-sig results or that show no effect are not usually published
Researchers note they wrote to NRT manufacturers to track unpublished studies but had poor response
There4, NRT may not be as effective as findings of meta-analysis suggest
Evaluation: Side effects
Reducing addiction: Drug therapy
Limit - side effects
In NRT common side effects = sleep disturbances, dizziness & headaches
Side effects are greater concern in drug therapies for gambling as does required for naltexone to have effect on gambling is much higher than when used for heroin
Means side effects are worse & include muscle spasms, anxiety & depp
There4, side effects should be weighed up against benefits of drug therapy & cost benefits of other therapies
Evaluation: Reduces stigma
Reducing addiction: Drug therapy
Strength - addiction becomes less stigmatised through association w/ drug therapy
People hold opinion that addiction psychological weakness
Stigma attached to addiction leads to self-blame & depp, making recovery difficult
Stigma is gradually being eroded by continuing successful use of drug therapy which encourages perception that drug addiction has neurochemical basis
There4, could be argued that percieving addiction as able to be treated w/ drugs helps people w/ addictions avoid self-balme & assists recovery
Evaluation: Not accessible to everyone
Reducing addiction: Drug therapy
Limit - drug cannot be taken by everyone due to circumstances
Pregnant people are not prescribed drugs, unless in dire need, as it could harm or effect baby
Those in short term prison sentences may end up in prison before treatment is over & while they may have access to the drugs in prison, they are not offered immediate support when they come out which could lead to relapse
There4, other treatment programmes may be more effective or beneficial
