Substance abuse Flashcards
meaning: drug, drug abuse, addicted, hallucinations, paranoia and euphoria
drug - any chemical substance that changes the you feel
drug abuse - using chemical substance a great deal
addicted - having uncontrollable urge / desire for something
hallucinations - seeing / hearing things that aren’t really there
paranoia - unreasonable fears, especially that someone / something will hurt you
euphoria - extreme joy or happiness
describe drugs and substance abuse and the effects
(drug - any chemical substance that changes the you feel) some drugs give user “high”, feeling of excitement and joy; others make you feel relaxed. drug may be legal like alcohol / cigarettes, or illegal like marijuana. can be man-made / natural.
(drug abuse - using chemical substance a great deal)
substance abuse has negative effect on person’s physical, mental / emotional well-being. this person becomes dependant on / addicted to drugs.
(addicted - having uncontrollable urge / desire for something)
name and describe the different types of substance abuse or drugs (7)
1 - Alcohol
alcohol oldest + most widely used drug in world. affects nerve cells in brain, making person feel relaxed. over time, brain + liver become damaged. alcohol makes some people become angry + violent.
2 - Inhalants
when fumes / gases of glue inhaled, they produce temporary high. long-term use lead to permanent brain damage, poor memory, mood swings, seizures, poor eyesight and blindness.
3 - Marijuana
also known as dagga / weed. after smoking it, users feel relaxed + dreamy. people don’t realise how dangerous it is. causes slow reactions, difficult with memory, hallucinations and feelings paranoia. using it can cause cancer.
4 - Methamphetamine
this drug goes by many names - speed, crystal meth and tik are few. it’s very addictive from very first time used. powerful drug, giving extreme “high”, but user need more each time to feel effect. people who use it may be very anxious, unpredictable, full of energy, calm and friendly one minute, but angry and aggressive the next. methamphetamine often makes users violent.
5 - Mandrax
dangerous drugs also called buttons. if it’s crushed and smoked with dagga, it’s called a white pipe. gives user feeling of euphoria, but tolerance built up quickly, which means user needs more and more to have some effect; this leads to overdosing. overdose can cause unconsciousness, coma and even death. users have blurred vision, slurred speech an slower thinking and reflexes.
6 - Prescription drugs
medicines like cough syrup + painkillers can also become addictive. some people believe these safer + not as addictive as street drugs - this isn’t true. like all other drugs, there are serious health risks when abusing prescription drugs.
7 - Cigarettes
cigarettes contain nicotine, which is one of most addictive substances we know. smoking + tobacco cause cancer + other deadly diseases. although some people believe smoking calms their nerves, it actually releases hormone that creates more stress. there are 4 000 chemicals in cigarette, all of which can negatively affect smoker’s body.
meaning: co-ordination, attitude and irritability
co-ordination - muscles + limbs working together to make person move smoothly
attitude - how you think, feel and behave
irritability - when someone feels angry and impatient for little / no reason
describe the symptoms of substance abuse (2 main headings)
Symptoms of substance abuse
many signs person may abusing substance. important remember may be other reasons these symptoms. key is to watch for significant changes in behaviour, appearance and attitude.
1 - Changes in appearance
- not as clean and as neat as before
- loss of appetite, sudden weight loss
- trouble with their co-ordination, walking “funny”
- difficult sleeping, awake at unusual times, unusual laziness
- red, watery eyes; pupils larger / smaller than usual; blank stare
- very active, can’t keep still; extreme talkativeness
- tremors or shaking of hands, feet / head.
2 - Changes in behaviour
- change in attitude or personality for no obvious cause
- withdrawal from family and friends, avoiding old friends, doesn’t want to talk about new friends
- loss of interest in school, sports, / other activities
- doing badly at school, marks dropping
- general lack of motivation and energy
- moodiness and irritability
- lying
- unexplained need for money; stealing money or items
- secretive behaviour; unnecessary need for privacy; disappears for long periods.
write down all the points (15) in the checklist for substance abuse (PS remember ?)
1 - do i ever use substance on my own
2 - have i ever stolen so that i can get hold of substance
3 - does take more drugs / alcohol to get high / drunk than when i first started
4 - do i often use substance when i wake up / go to bed
5 - have i ever wanted / needed to cut down on my drinking / my drug use in last year
6 - do i avoid people that don’t like my substance abuse
7 - have i had feeling of guilt / regret after drinking / drug abuse
8 - is my school performance dropping because of substance use
9 - have i been unable to remember what happened night before because i had been drinking / using drugs
10 - have i ever lied about what / how much i use
11 - do the substances ever interfere with my eating / sleeping
12 - sometimes when i start drinking / using drugs, it’s like something takes over and i get drunk / high without meaning to
13 - does thought of not being able to get hold of substance make me anxious
14 - have i ever felt that i can’t have a good time without the substance
15 - do i carry on using even though there are negative consequences?
what are the personal factors that lead to substance (2 main headings)
we know personal, family and community factors increase adolescent’s risk of using drugs and developing substance abuse problem.
1 - Intrapersonal factors
Intrapersonal factors issues that are within a person himself / herself. these include:
- inherited problems: people with alcohol + drug abuse problems often have family history of substance abuse.
- character and personality: rebellious, not obeying rules / authority, feelings of failure, and not having close relationships with family / friends.
- some health problems: people who have untreated difficulties with attention, depression / anxiety may start to use drugs / alcohol to help them deal with their feelings.
- misunderstanding of substance abuse: adolescents sometimes have wrong idea about effects of substances and believe that “everybody does it”.
- early exposure: using alcohol / other drugs at young age increases an adolescent’s risk of becoming dependant.
2 - Interpersonal factors
Interpersonal factors are issues in the relationships between people. these include family, community and peer relationships.
Family factors:
- a parent uses / abuses alcohol / other substances
- a parent is depressed / anxious
- a parent believes that experimenting with drugs and alcohol is normal
- there is fighting, stress / abuse in the family
- there isn’t enough parental involvement and supervision. parents often don’t know their children’s friends / where they spend their time
- punishment is unpredictable or too strict; or parents are too relaxed and adolescents have too much freedom.
Community factors
- it is easy to get substances in the home and community
- community members do nothing to prevent substance abuse
- media encourages use of alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. alcohol + cigarettes shown as “cool”, used by popular, successful people.
Peer factors
- if peers use drugs, people may start so that they fit in
- friends put pressure on each other to do drugs or drink
- people abuse substances so that they fit in an feel part of the group.
meaning: intrapersonal and interpersonal factors
intrapersonal factors - the things that happen within the person himself / herself
interpersonal factors - the things that happen between people
what are the factors that reduce the chance of substance abuse
individual - self-control, good self-image, self-confidence, tries hard at school, wants to succeed, dreams for the future.
family - interested, has clear rules, disapproves of substance abuse, monitors children.
school - has anti-drug policies, a place where children feel supported
community - good neighbourhood relationships, people in community do not tolerate substance abuse, the community stands up against crime, there is help and support offered in the community.
peers - positive peer group who make good choices, positive view of school and their future.
meaning: early detection
recognising the signs of substance abuse to help people deal with the problem right from the start.
what are the warning signs of commonly abused drugs and why is it important to recognise these signs at and early stage.
early detection is important as it helps people deal with the problem from the start before the drug takes over the person’s life.
Warning signs of commonly used drugs:
Marijuana - glassy, red eyes; loud talking, inappropriate laughter followed by sleepiness, loss of interest, motivation; weight loss or gain.
Depressants (including alcohol, Xanax, Valium): contracted pupils; drunk-like; difficulty concentrating; clumsiness; poor judgment; slurred speech; sleepiness.
Stimulants (including tik, amphetamines, cocaine, crystal meth, Ecstasy, MDMA): dilated pupils; hyperactivity; euphoria; irritability; anxiety; excessive talking followed by depression or excessive sleeping at odd times; may go long periods of time without eating / sleeping; weight loss; dry mouth and nose.
Inhalants (glues, aerosols, vapours): watery eyes, impaired vision, memory and thought; secretions from the nose or rashes around the nose and mouth; headaches and nausea; changes in appetite; anxiety; irritability; lots of aerosol cans in the rubbish.
