reducing addiction: Drug therapy

Question 1

drug therapy definition

Answer 1

treatment involving drugs such as chemicals that have a particular effect on the the functioning of the brain or some other body system. in the case of psychological disorders such drugs usually affect neurotransmitter levels

Question 2

what are the 3 types of drug therapy

Answer 2

-Aversives
-agonists
-antagonists

Question 3

how does drug therapy work

Answer 3

changing how the person experiences the drug addiction

Question 4

what is the main effect of aversives

Answer 4

-produce an unpleasant consequence such as vomiting

Question 5

what is an example of an aversive

Answer 5

Disulfiram is used in treating alcoholism by creating hypersensitivity to alcohol. if they have this drug then have an alcoholic drink they will have a severe hangover nas nausea in about 5mins

Question 6

why does an aversive work (alcohol)

Answer 6

classical conditioning as the client associates drinking alcohol with the unpleasant outcomes not enjoyment

Question 7

how does an agonist work

Answer 7

drug substitutes. they activate neuron receptors and provide a similar effect to the substance

Question 8

what is an example of an agonist for heroin addiction

Answer 8

methadone as satisfy the person’s cravings for euphoria, but have fewer harmful side effects and are cleaner as they are administered medically rather than delt on the streets

Question 9

how does an agonist help addction

Answer 9

stabilise the individual as are used to control withdrawal syndrome, as symptoms are gradually reduced and so is dose

Question 10

how do antagonists work

Answer 10

treat addiction by blocking receptor sites so the substance of dependence cannot have usual effects, especially the feelings of euphoria people crave

Question 11

example of an antagonist used against heroin addiction

Answer 11

naltrexone is an opioid antagonist used to treat the physiological dependence of heroin addiction. however, other therapies such as counselling are needed to tackle psychological cases of the addiction

Question 12

what does nicotine replacement therapy use

Answer 12

-gum
-inhalers
-patches
delivers the psychoactive substance in tobacco smoke in a less harmful way

Question 13

how does nicotine replacement therapy work

Answer 13

provides the user with a clean, controlled dose of nicotine which operates neurochemically as an agonist which activates acetylcholine receptors in the mesolimbic pathway of the brain. this stimulate the release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens just as it does in smoking

Question 14

how does nicotine replacement therapy minimise withdrawal syndrome

Answer 14

amount of nicotine can be reduced over time using smaller and smaller patches so withdrawal syndrome can be managed over a period of two or three months, reducing the unpleasantness of withdrawal syndromes

Question 15

are there currently any drugs used to treat gambling addiction

Answer 15

no but there is research into several candidates with the most promising being the opioid antagonist naltrexone which is also used to treat heroin addiction

Question 16

how has the use of opioid antagonists to treat gambling addiction come about

Answer 16

similarities between gambling and substance addiction have been recognised by the DSM-5

Question 17

what is the neurochemical explanation for gambling addiction

Answer 17

gambling addiction taps into the same dopamine release reward system that heroin and other drugs do

Question 18

what do opioid antagonists do and how does this relate to gambling addiction

Answer 18

-opioid antagonists enhance the release of the neurotransmitter GABA in the mesolimbic pathway.
-the increased GABA activity reduces the release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens (and ultimately the frontal cortex)
-this has been linked to subsequent reductions in gambling behaviour by some research such as Kin et al (2001)

Question 19

strength of drug therapy at reducing addiction - research support

Answer 19

-research shows it is effective
-Hartmann-Boyce et al (2018) conducted a meta-analysis of almost 126 high-quality research studies into the effectiveness of NRT (covers almost 65,000 participants). they concluded that all forms of NRT products increases the rate of quitting by up to 60%. research also indicated that NRT does not appear to foster dependence –> NRT is an effective therapy which can save lives and reduce costs of the NHS

Question 20

limitation of drug therapy at reducing addiction - counterpoint to research support

Answer 20

-researchers only included in theri analysis research studies that have been published. The risk of publication bias because studies are more likely to show ‘positive’ results. studies with non-significant results or that show no effect were published. the researchers note that they wrote to manufacturers of NRT producers to track unpublished studies but the results were poor –> means that NRT may not be as effective as the findings of this meta-analysis suggest

Question 21

limitation of drug therapy at reducing addiction - side effects

Answer 21

-drug therapies have side effects
-risk of side effects is that a client will discontinue the therapy. the side effects that are common for NRT are sleep disturbances, gastrointestinal problems, dizziness and headaches. the side effects are of greater concern for drug therapies for gambling addiction as the dose of naltrexone required for gambling addiction is much greater than used to treat opiate addiction. this emas side effects are correspondingly worse and include muscle spasms, anxiety and depression –> therefore side effects should be weighed up against the benefits of the drug therapy and the costs/benefits of other therapies

Question 22

strength of drug therapy at reducing addiction - reduces stigma

Answer 22

-addiction can become less stigmatised as it is associated with drug therapies
-many people hold the opinion that addiction is a psychological weakness, even if the start of the addiction is the responsibility of the individual, it spirals out of their control. The stigma attached to addiction can lead to self-blame and depression, making the recovery more difficult. The stigma is gradually being eroded by continuing successful use of drug therapy,. as encourages the perception that drug addiction has a neurochemical basis –> can be argued perceiving addiction as something that can be treated with drugs helps people with addiction avoid self-blame and assists recovery

Question 23

evaluation of drug therapy at reducing addiction - costs and benefits

Answer 23

-potentially serious costs to using drugs to treat addiction, such as side effects. In addition to this drugs do not actually offer a cure to addiction but instead supress the cravings and symptoms or provide a substitute
-however, drugs have some benefits in treating addiction as control the unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. the side effects may even be tolerable if it helps treat the addiction