387: Week 9 - Addictions

Question 1

How does alcohol and drug abuse influence mental health?

Answer 1

• Alcohol and drug abuse may contribute to the development of mental disorders (vice-versa)
• 50-75% of those with substance abuse problems have co-existing mental illness
• 20-50% of those with mental illness have a substance abuse problem

Question 2

What impact does substance abuse have on the symptoms of mental illness?

Answer 2

• can worsen, mimic, or mask symptoms of mental disorders

- can impact bodies response to, production or absorption of certain neurotransmitters

Question 3

What is the most common reason for failed alcoholism treatment?

Answer 3

Failure to diagnose a co-existing mental disorder

Question 4

What is a dual-diagnosis?

Answer 4

the co-existence of one or more substance abuse disorder AND one or more mental disorders

Question 5

What are some characteristics of substance abuse disorders?

Answer 5

• ongoing substance use leading to failure to fulfill major role (obligations of work, school, home)
• recurrent substance use in situations that are physically hazardous (driving car or operating heavy machinery)
• recurrent substance-related legal problems (multiple arrests for substance-related disorderly conduct)
• persistent substance use despite experiencing recurrent social or interpersonal problems cause by the effects of the substance (marital problems)

Question 6

How may alcohol abuse impact the physical and social health of the abuser as well as those around them?

Answer 6

• long-lasting impacts on the children of addicts
• associated with presentation of violence
• associated with increased incidence of motor vehicle accidents
• major developmental impacts on the developing fetus (FAS)

Question 7

Who is more likely to abuse alcohol?

Answer 7

Men

Question 8

Who is more likely to abuse Rx drugs?

Answer 8

Women and Older adults

Question 9

What biological factors predispose individuals to addiction?

Answer 9

Genetics/heredity

Question 10

What Psychological theories explain the predisposition for addiction? (Psychoanalytic, Behavioral, Cognitive and Family Systems, Psychological, Sociocultural, Religious Beliefs)

Answer 10

• Alcoholism is fixated in the oral stage
• Behavioral -> addictions are learned behaviors and can be changed; they are the result of observing others cope in this socially acceptable way)
• Cognitive -> addictions are related to inappropriate way of viewing substances
• Family systems -> inappropriate family interactions lead to substance abuse
• Psychological -> link between substance abuse and mental illness, which comes first though?
• Sociocultural -> some cultures view substances as more desirable than others, some cultures also feel as though it is more acceptable for men to be addicted to alcohol and women to Rx drugs)
• Religious -> can act as a protective factor against addictions like alcoholism, but may be harder for individuals to seek help from their religious community