Women & Substances (Guest Presenter)

Question 1

What are some factors that contribute to substance use?

Answer 1

• peer pressure
• stress relief
• anxiety
• low self esteem
• family history; learning from or inheriting gene of substance use from parents
• mental health; to alleviate burdens or to self medicate
• religion
• social groups
• lack of perception of harm (as the perception of harm decreases, usage increases)
• accessibility
• environment

Question 2

Binge Drinking

Answer 2

Drinking a lot of alcohol in a short amount of time - 4 drinks/2hrs for women, 5 drinks/2hrs for men per sitting.
The liver can only filter out so much (the rest of the alcohol gets into the bloodstream, which reaches the CNS, causing respiratory death) Can lead to asphyxiation

Question 3

Asphyxiation

Answer 3

Breathing in a person stops either because they choke on their vomit or they can’t throw up their vomit which gets stuck in their throat.

Question 4

Drinks Per Sitting

Answer 4

The more drinks someone has per sitting, the more their risk increases.

Question 5

High risk drinking

Answer 5

Can lead to dangerous involvement in behaviors; greater involvement in assaults, suicides, fighting, more emergency room visits, injuries, sexual activity, regrets the next day.

Question 6

Blackout

Answer 6

Conscious but will not remember anything the next day; once you experience a blackout, you are more susceptible to experiencing another one in the future.

Question 7

Tolerance

Answer 7

Building tolerance means you need more of the same substance to get the same effect; you feel it differently but blood alcohol level is the same (thus you need a higher BAC than a nontolerant person to experience some of the same effects).

Question 8

Acute Warning Signs for drug and alcohol overdose

Answer 8

Incoherent, unconscious or semiconscious, unresponsive, labored or shallow breathing, seizures, cold/clammy/pale/bluish color skin

Question 9

Acute intervention

Answer 9

Get the person medical attention immediately.

Question 10

Chronic Warning Signs

Answer 10

Loss of interest-apathy, changes in physical appearance, preoccupation with substance, irritability, secretive behavior, money problems, mood swings. Could seem like depression.

Question 11

Low/No Risk for Substance Abuse

Answer 11

People drinking infrequently, not a lot of drinks per sitting, try weed once in a couple of months, no consequences from use

Question 12

At Risk

Answer 12

Some consequences like hangover, missing class, doing things you regret, drinking more than you want, not alcohol dependent yet.

Question 13

Moderate to Severe

Answer 13

Hazardous use, patterns of abuse

Question 14

Severe dependence

Answer 14

If stop use, person gets withdrawals, persistent desire to use, impacts on jobs.

Question 15

What are some myths of alleviating alcohol overdose?

Answer 15

• Drinking water
• Feeding carbs to absorb the alcohol
• Throwing up your alcohol
• Drinking coffee/stimulants
• Taking a cold shower
• Telling someone to sleep it off

Question 16

What is the impact of substances on academic achievement?

Answer 16

• Heavy drinking is associated with lower GPA and less faculty engagement
• Frequency of binge drinking is associated with lower grades in college setting
• Marijuana users have increased risk for discontinued enrollment.
• Adderall users showed no improvement in GPA or academic function but encountered negative side effects of abuse