Week 7 - Theories Flashcards
1
Q
What constitutes a psychological theory?
A
- describes behaviour
- makes predictions about future behaviours
- must have evidence to support the idea
- must be testable
2
Q
Why are theories important?
A
- Explains why a drug is more/less addictive:
- in one society than another
- for one individual and not another
- for the same individual at one time and not another
- Make sense of similar behaviour (e.g., compulsive)
- Explains cycle of increasing dysfunctional involvement with drugs
- Must be faithful to the lived human experience
3
Q
Moral model
A
- The ‘original’ model of addiction - temperance movement (mid 1800s)
- Addiction was viewed as a sin
- Users are characterised as ‘misfits’, ‘no-hopers’, or as objects of pity; dealers are routinely described as ‘scum’, ‘vermin’ or ‘an evil menace’.
- Punishment
- common theme is choice
4
Q
What do people with substance abuse struggle with according to the moral modal?
A
- make poor choices
- lack will-power
- unwilling to change their own lives
5
Q
Moral model concerns
A
- Stigmatisation
- Reluctance to reach out for help
- Decreased self-esteem
- Reinforces the tendency toward self-blame, self-hatred and a sense of extreme powerlessness.
- Work against the prospect of genuine change - diminishing motivation; avoid taking responsibility.
6
Q
moral model
spiritual model
A
- a disconnection from God or another higher power
- to overcome addiction, the individual must first establish a deeper connection with themselves, other people, and the broader world around them
- a Higher Power, a community of other
people in recovery, and a spiritual awakening, that allow people to overcome addiction
7
Q
Disease model
A
- Assumes that the origins of addiction lie within the individual.
- Medical viewpoint - addiction is a disease or an illness that a person has.
- Addiction - illness that results from an impairment of healthy neurochemical or behavioral processes
8
Q
what does the disease model believe?
A
- Addiction does not exist on a continuum – present or not
- Addicted people cannot control their intake.
- The disease of addiction is irreversible. It cannot be cured and can only be treated by lifelong abstinence.
9
Q
disease model
12 step model
A
- AA, NA, AI-Anon
- Alcoholism is “all or nothing”. Problem or no problem.
- Alcoholics are powerless over alcohol and experiences.
- Alcoholism cannot be “cured”, only managed.
- Disease is progressive and deterioration in condition is inevitable if drinking continues.
- Support through attending groups, peer support, submitting to a higher power.
10
Q
The 12-step program
A
- Admission
- Recognition
- Submission
- Understanding
- Confession
- Readiness
- Humility
- Reparation
- Apology
- Integrity
- Meditation
- Awakening
11
Q
Advantages of 12-step program
A
- drug use becomes a health issue and not just a legal issue
- allows ‘addicted’ people to understand their behaviour
- offers a treatment approach (abstinence) that works for some
- removes some of the shame often felt by people affected by addiction.
12
Q
Disadvantages of 12-step program
A
- removes responsibility from the user
- offers only one course of treatment (abstinence) which is not suitable for all people, particularly young people
- not supported by a large amount of evidence.
13
Q
Treatment outcomes of 12-step program
A
- greater friends
- spiritual connection
- finding meaning in life
14
Q
Neuroscientific/biological model
A
Focus is on the effects of drugs on the brain.
- Genetic characteristics
- Reward systems
- Neuro-adaption
15
Q
Genetic characteristics
A
- People may inherit an increased likelihood (vulnerability) of developing dependence on substances.
- no single candidate genes have been discovered directly related to addiction but may involve multiple genes or incomplete expression of several major genes
16
Q
examples of genetic characteristics
A
- Evidence suggest a relationship between tobacco-smoking and genes involved in dopamine regulation (Sabol et al., 1999).
- Brain’s cannabinoid system - variants of the CNRl gene were associated with cannabis, cocaine, and heroin dependence (Comings et al., 1997)
17
Q
Reward systems
A
- dopamine reward system
- endogenous opioid system
18
Q
neuro-adaptation
A
- Refers to changes in the brain that occur to oppose a drug’s acute actions after repeated drug administration.
- When drugs are repeatedly administered, changes occur in the chemistry of the brain to oppose the drug’s effects.
- When this drug use is discontinued, the adaptations are no longer opposed; the brain’s homeostasis is disrupted