Substance Abuse Disorders Flashcards
What is a substance use disorder?
Recurrent, problematic use of a substance of abuse leading to clinically significant impairment, distress, and other adverse consequences.
What is the APA definition of addiction?
A brain disease manifested by compulsive substance use despite harmful consequence. People with addiction (severe substance use disorder) have an intense focus on using certain substances to the point that it takes over their life
What is a craving?
Compelling need for a drug
What is a drug of abuse?
Chemical that alters mood, perception, and/or brain functioning
What is polysubstance abuse?
Concurrent abuse of more than one drug
What are the 10 categories of drug abuse in the DSM?
Alcohol, caffeine, cannabis, hallucinogens, inhalants, opioids, sedatives, hypnotics, anxiolytics, tobacco, and other unknown substances.
What are the 4 problem indicators in the DSM?
Impairment of control, social impairment, risky use, pharmacological dependence criteria (tolerance and withdrawal)
What is characteristic of psychological dependence?
Cravings, impairment of control
What is physical dependence also known as?
Tolerance
What is tolerance?
Nervous system is less sensitive to effects of substance, more is needed for the same effect
What is withdrawal?
Symptoms experienced when a person stops a drug. Most severe for alcohol, opioids, sedatives/hypnotics.
What type of substance(s) cause withdrawal symptoms that could lead to death?
Alcohol and opioids
What is the most harmful drug to the user and to others?
Alcohol
What is the least harmful drug to the user and to others?
Shrooms
What was the Gin Crisis?
Industrial distillation of gin Britain in the 1700s and a drop in prices created a drug crisis comparable to the fentanyl crisis of today.
While Gin was considered to be bad, which drug was considered to be good?
Beer! Associated with happy, well-fed, successful people.
What caused alcohol to become an everyday staple?
Using it to sanitize unsafe drinking water.
What causes the prevalence of substance use disorders to vary?
Type of substance, availability, cultural variations.
What percentage of Canadians report high risk drinking?
17%
What percentage of men and women report high-risk drinking?
Men: 25%
Women: 9%
What makes the prevalence of substance abuse disorders higher?
Being male, young, low education (tobacco), blue collar (tobacco), and aboriginal.
What type of drugs do older people use more of?
Prescription drugs.
What is the average age of drinking in Canada?
14.8
If men are abstinent for ____ years, they will remain abstinent.
6 years
What do periods of heavy use often alternate with?
Abstinence
What are the 3 developmental stages of alcohol use?
1) Initiation and Continuation
2) Escalation and Transition to Abuse
3) Development of Tolerance and Withdrawal
What is initiation and continuation?
Concerns family or peers demonstrating “how to drink”-or in chaotic environments when children and teens get hold of unattended alcohol.
What is escalation and transition to abuse?
Individual drinks more and more each day-for business, social, personal reasons. Problems such as frequent inebriation, relational problems, and work problems arise
What types of cultures favour use and abuse of drugs?
Social breakdown-such as political disorder and economic upheavals.
How does our family shape use and abuse?
Model for how one should use (or not). Some people follow the example of abuse, others stay away. Lack of parental vigilance can also facilitate drug abuse-especially in a chaotic family/social environment. Parental over vigilance is not good either.
When do substance use disorders typically start?
Adolescence
What are some psychological factors that can affect substance abuse?
Behavioural disinhibition
Negative emotions
Tension reduction hypothesis
Expectations
What is behavioural disinhibition?
Some people believe that under certain circumstances they can allow themselves anything (ex: guy that gets wasted watching sports/at weddings)
How do negative emotions affect substance abuse?
Drugs are a way to manage negative feelings.
What types of drugs did early depression treatment involve?
Cocaine and amphetamines
What is the tension reduction hypothesis?
Drugs (especially downers like alcohol and opioids) are used to relieve nervous tension. Relief is so valued, drug of choice becomes a habit
How do expectations play into substance abuse?
Mood, social behaviour, sex behaviour etc. Less experienced users are more susceptible to the expectation effect. Positive expectations are powerful motivators for alcohol use, negatives are less.
What are some biological factors that play into substance abuse?
Physical Tolerance Family abuse patterns Endogenous opioid system Biological markers Serotonin Hypothesis
What is the physical tolerance of alcohol?
The ability to metabolize it.
What is shown in the EEG patters of sons and daughters of alcoholic fathers?
They are different than those without alcoholic fathers
What is shown in the heart rate of men with alcoholic relatives?
Their heart rate is increased when they drink. Greater increases means more inclination to drink regularly.
Is treatment often successful?
No
What is one of the controversies when it comes to alcoholic treatments?
Abstinence versus controlled drinking
What happens in the first phase of treatment?
Detoxification under medical supervision with medications to help with withdrawal.
What is cognitive behavioural therapy used for in alcohol abuse treatment?
Coping skills, social skills, and short-term motivational therapy.
Which treatment is superior?
None. They are all equal
