Substance Use and Abuse Flashcards
What is drug abuse?
extended use of something that will impair biological, psychological, or social well-being.
__________ and ________ are the most widely used drugs
alcohol and tobacco
what is the negative effect of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco compared to other illnesses and disabilities.
The abuse of illegal drugs, alcohol, and tobacco is the cause of more deaths, illnesses, and disabilities than any other preventable health condition.
A drug’s __________ determines the ease with which it passes through the _____-______ barrier.
fat solubility, blood-brain
What is the difference between agonists, partial agonist and antagonist?
agonists - molecule that mimics neurotransmitter
partial agonists - elicits weaker response than agonists
antagonist - blocks neurotransmitter
What does hallucinogens, stimulants and depressants do?
hallucinogens - Alter sensory perception and induce visual and auditory hallucinations.
stimulants - boost CNS, rewarding effects, physical and psychological dependence.
depressants - sedatives, tranquilizers, hypnotics, slows cognition and sensory responsiveness, suicides, overdose, dependency
explain concordance rate in addiction.
addicts inherit a biological vulnerability to physical dependence; drugs use to restore abnormally low levels of key neurotransmitters
What is the reward model for addiction?
Involves pleasure seeking; cocaine, alcohol, nicotine = ^ dopamine
- reward model; withdrawal relief, neg reinforcement
- septal area of hypothalamus activated during drug use/behavior
Fill in the blanks for the evidence in reward models.
People who are dependent on one substance are ____ likely to be addicted to others as well
Some drugs that produce feelings of ______ are ___ considered physically addictive
Unable to explain why drug use continues even when _______ side effects occurs
more
well-being, not
unpleasant
What are the evidence against the reward model?
- environmental factors are stronger influence for drug use than prior use of other stimulants.
- incentive-sensitization theory (2 stages)
~ good feelings during drug use will take over
~ dopamine cravings to give automatic behavior
What are the social learning models of addiction?
- identification with a drug (I am a drinker)
- social control - hard to break from social norms with higher attachment to social environment (family/school).
- peer cluster - having a group of friends will help break away from typical social influences from family/school.
What are some of the statistics/data for alcohol abusers?
50% of 12 and older are drinkers
“At-risk” drinkers: Two or more episodes of binge drinking in the past month, or consuming an average of two or more alcoholic drinks per day in the past month (mostly 25 - 44)
18-24 are heavy/binge drinkers
What are some of the adverse effects of alcohol?
v immune, damage DNA, v endocrine function, v growth hormone, v testosterone and estrogen, v fertility in men and ^ miscarriages in women
What are some other alcohol-related morbidity
^ fat deposit on heart –> cardiovascular disease
ulcers, liver disease (hepatitis & cirrhosis)
fetal alcohol syndrome - adverse effect on infant due to mother’s use
Korsakoff’s syndrome - cannot store new memories
What are some of the psychosocial consequences to alcohol use?
- behavioral disinhibition - no confidence or freedom from social constraints
- Low BAL: cheerful, relaxed, confidence
- v higher order executive function; alcohol myopia (smaller perceptive field), focus on now and not future consequences
What was the results of the alcohol-related psychological consequences.
- 176 college students (88 M/F pairs)
- 2 alcoholic or nonalcoholic drinks/10-minute absorption period
- 15-minuteconversation
- Trained observers code for attentive cues and sexual interest cues
drinkers exaggerated sexual interest cues and ignored ambiguous, attentive cues; alcohol narrows focus on perception of salient cues that fit their current beliefs
explain the relationship between alcohol and alcohol dependence.
men are more susceptible
first degree relatives = single best predictor
more susceptible if both parents drink
What is the relationship between alcohol use and individual factors?
personality
~lack of behavioral control/negative emotions ; aggression, unconventionality, impulsiveness, depression, and anxiety
alcohol expectancies
~beliefs about alcohol effects individuals, peers use predicts individual’s use
Explain the relationship between alcohol use, stress, and social context. 4 models..
tension-reduction - drinking is reinforcing bc it reduces stress/tension
self-awareness - alcohol distorts thinking and less self-critical
self-handicapping - drinking provides excuses for self failures
social context - frats, finds more people who behaves the same
What is aversion therapy for treatment in alcohol dependence?
Behavioral therapy that pairs an unpleasant stimulus (emetic drug) with an undesirable behavior (drinking)
Give a statistical example of smoking.
An adult who has smoked two packs per day for 20 years can expect to lose 8 years of life
What is the causative agent in lung cancer, how?
BPDE, damages supressor genes = lung tissue mutation
According to the nicotine-titration & affect manage model in why people continue to smoke?
- must maintain a steady level of nicotine
- they want to regulate own emotional state
Explain smoking inoculation
practice skills to resist social pressure, based on social learning model –> looks into 3 factors (social pressure, medical information, anxiety)
