8.1.4 treatmemts Flashcards
Describe naltrexone as a treatment for addiction
1) naltrexone can be taken orally or injected
2) naltrexone is a selective alcohol antagonist, it binds to and blocks opioid receptors
3) this increases GABA which is an inhibitory neurotransmitter so in turn decreases dopamine levels
4) patient will not experience pleasure sensations when drinking but still experience unwanted side effects such as reduced coordination
5) reduces desire to drink and reduces cravings
6) works best after 3 months
Describe aversion therapy (disulfiram) as a treatment for addiction
1) based on principles of cc - aims to pair alcohol with unpleasant response
2) emetic drug disulfiram stops the breakdown of acetaldehyde in the patient’s body
3) this causes the patient to feel nauseous/be sick
4) The patient would be given a glass of their usual drink and when paired with the disulfiram they will feel/be sick
5) the patient eventually associates alcohol with feeling sick so stops drinking
6) patients are given a non-alcoholic when the sickness subsides so the association is not generalised to all drinks
7) covert sensitisation*
Describe nicotine replacement therapy as a treatment of addiction
1) binds to acetylcholine receptors in the Mesolithic pathway, increasing neurotransmission
2) this stimulates dopamine release, making the behaviour enjoyable
3) NRT enables patients to consume nicotine in a cleaner way
4) variety of products available such as gum, patches and vapes
5) some replacement products do not penetrate the blood brain barrier as quickly as cigarettes so client may need to use more at first
6) aim is to reduce nicotine content over time - e.g. down to 0% nicotine gum
Describe aversion therapy (rapid smoking) as a treatment for addiction
1) based on CC - aims to pair nicotine with unpleasant response
2) addicts are asked to rapid smoke, inhaling a cigarette every 6 seconds until they have finished a set amount
3) smoking rapidly causes patient to feel sick
4) patients may need to smoke for different lengths of time/diff number of cigarettes
5) addict associates feeling sick with inhaling cigarette
6) after several pairings addict will feel sick at the sight/smell of cigarette so avoid smoking
Describe methadone as a treatment for addiction
1) methadone is a synthetic opiate used to treat heroin addiction
2) addicts take it once a day and it binds to opioid receptors, acting as an agonist, mimicking the effect of heroin
3) this reduces withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety and provides a cleaner ‘high’
4) is usually taken at a pharmacy first, in liquid form
5) once the addict has stabilised on methadone they may be trusted to take their prescription home
6) patients can use as maintenance therapy and/or reduce their dosage slowly over time
Describe token economy as a treatment of addiction
1) token economy is based on operant conditioning and aims to reinforce not taking heroin with positive outcomes
2) patients need to provide a urine sample and if no trace of drugs are detected, they earn a token
3) token needs to be given immediately
4) patients exchange tokens (secondary reinforcers) for something desirable such as outings, food (primary reinforcers)
5) there must be clear indication of what the tokens can buy and value of tokens should increase over time
6) patients will abstain from taking heroin to achieve positive outcomes
naltrexone - strengths
naltrexone - weaknesses
alcohol aversion therapy - strengths
disulfarim
- Supporting evidence. Chick found aversion therapy results in more days of sobriety and less alcohol consumed compared to participants that didn’t receive treatment. Effective treatment for some client to stop drinking, and therefore valid.
- Ethical because participants will give informed consent to the process. They will learn that they have to take an emetic drug and agree to do it knowing it will make them nauseous/vomit. This means that participants are informed and agree, so hopefully they will continue to take part and remove the alcohol addiction
alcohol aversion therapy - weaknesses
- Does not treat the underlying cause that makes people drink alcohol. Patients may drink alcohol to cope with stressors and so relapse after treatment. This means that AV may not be effective in the long term
- A weakness is that AV has a high drop out rate, meaning not all patients complete the therapy. It can be unpleasant for patients to learn a new association, that drinking alcohol is unpleasant but experiencing nausea or vomiting. This learning will take place over several sessions, so AV is not effective if patients cannot complete the therapy in full.
rapid smoking/aversion therapy - strengths
- Supporting evidence. Tongus found that 12 months after therapy, 56% of participants were abstaining. Effective treatment for some client to stop smoking, and therefore valid.
- Ethical because participants will give informed consent to the process. They will learn that they have to smoke rapidly (every 6 second) and agree to do it knowing it will make them nauseous/vomit. This means that participants are informed and agree, so hopefully they will continue to take part and remove the smoking addiction.
rapid smoking/aversion therapy - weaknesses
- Does not treat the underlying cause that makes people smoke. Patients may smoke to cope with stressors and so relapse after treatment. Nicotine helps them relax as it decreases the level of noradrenaline. May Not be effective in the long term
- High drop out rate, meaning not all patients complete the therapy. It can be unpleasant for patients to learn a new association, that smoking is unpleasant but experiencing nausea or vomiting. This learning will take place over several sessions, so AV is not effective if patients cannot complete the therapy in full.
nicotine replacement therapy - strengths
Supporting evidence - Research found all forms of NRT are more effective for stoping smoking compared to a placebo. Therefore effective treatment to stop smoking so valid
Accessible to people - don’t need a professional/therapist to use it as iot can be bought ov er the counter and empowering for the addict as they can control their own treatment - therefore accessibility means it is more likely addicts use it
nicotine replacement therapy - weaknesses
Side effects - skin irritations when using patches, dizziness and headaches, difficulty sleeping. Therefore may be unpleasant for the patient
- Does not treat the underlying cause that makes people smoke. Patients may smoke to cope with stressors and so relapse after treatment. Nicotine helps them relax as it decreases the level of noradrenaline. May Not be effective in the long term
methadone - strengths
