drug
substance that kills germs
affects body function or sturcture
psychoactive drug
- any substance capable of altering feelings, moods, or perceptions
- sensory perceptions- thought processes behavior
- Impaired judgement- say/do things that are not atypical
drug use
general term
describes drug-taking behavior
Reasonable ingestion
6 examples: ritual use ceremonial use utilitarian use medical use social use private/personal use
ritual use of drugs
purpose of sharing in a religious right
ceremonial use of drugs
participating in a social gesture/act prescribed by custom or etiquette
Utilitarian use drugs
practical or pragmatic purpose
medical use of drugs
curing disease
controlling disease symptoms
social use of drugs
enhancing communication/relationships in social situations
private/personal use of drugs
purpose of pleasant changes of feelings, mood, or mind
uses of drugs are reasonable if
defined, beneficial purpose
contributes to a person’s well- being
chemical dependency
two components:
drug use can cause problems
person continues to use
drug misuse
inappropriate use of legal drugs intended to be medications
dependence
need to continue using a drug
psychological dependence
craving emotional reasons maintain a sense of well-being habituation tendency to relapse
physiological dependence
body adapts to drugs if presence
cessation of drug use= withdrawal
withdrawal = consistent set of symptoms that appears after discontinuing drug use
addiction
process of addiction
- exposure- feels good/replaces unpleasant feeling
- compulsion-repeated exposure despite negative consequences; avoid withdrawal
- loss of control- cannot control behavior; makes life worse
process of dependence
- relief phase= escape
- increased use phase= take greater quantities
- preoccupation phase= constant concern, “normal behavior”
- dependency phase= physical symptoms= dependence addiction
- withdrawal phase= symptoms when abstinent
types of drug users
experimenters
compulsive
floaters/chippers
experimenters
initial stage of drug use
often use= recreational purposes
compulsive users
insatiable (uncontrollable/constant) attraction to drugs
psychological dependence
inability to cope without using drugs
4 principles of psychoactive drugs
- drugs, per se, ate not good or bad (it is how we use them that is good/bad)
- every drug has multiple effects
- both the size and the quality of a drug’s effect depend on the amount the individual had taken
- the effect of any psychoactive drug depends on the individual’s history and expectations
why can’t we stop drug abuse
supply and demand
substances will never disappear
we accept alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine
why is drug abuse an important issue?
wide spread use form 1960's- present drugs are more potent now than in the past drugs are commonplace endangers the future if a society use/dealing= major factor of a society risk of injury= greater
people use drugs because
drugs make them feel good they may relieve stress or tension peer pressure they may enhance religious or mystical experiences they relieve pain and symptoms
Predisposing factors
enhancing susceptibility/likelihood of beginning a behavior
EX: experimentation of adolescence, personal psychological characteristics, curiosity, cope with stress, societal changes and conflicts, heredity
enabling factors
facilitate or make possible drug use
EX: availability, accessibility, social norms, drug effects, enabling
reinforcing factiors
encourage beginning or repetition of a behavior
EX: pleasant experience, functional aspects, social/peer group influence and approval, advertising/media
categories of drinkers
not all drivers if into one category persons may display more than one patter in their lifetime abstainers social drinkers problem drinkers
abstainers
about 1/3 of US adults
reason for abstaining form alcohol can vary greatly
social drinkers
majority of drinkers
no serious consequences
cessation of alcohol use is not a problem
problem drinkers
continued use despite social work, psychological, or physical problems related to drinking
drink in dangerous situations
adverse effects from single bouts of drinking or effects of persistent alcohol use
alcoholics
physical and psychological dependence impede ability to control drinking behavior
causes of alcoholism
genetics, environmental
genetics
adoption study was held
genetic predisposition does not mean predestination, but does increase likelihood
environmental
cultural and group nobs peer influences expectancies about alcohol effec-ts family influences reinforcing anxiety-reducing effects
type 1 alcoholics
complex interplay between genetics and environmental influences
onset after age 25
drinking pattern= guilt and loss of control over drinking, can abstain for a time
personality is anxious, shy, pessimistic, novelty seeking, reward dependence
type 2 alcoholics
high genetic connection between father and son
minor environmental association
sunsets before 25
aggressive behavior, quick to anger, frequent lights
frequent alcohol consumption
Jelinek’s categories of alcoholism
the greek alphabet categories
alpha alcoholism
psychological reliance on alcohol to relieve physical and psychological pain
problem drinking
beta alcoholism
social dependence on alcohol
no dependence
no withdrawal symptoms
unhealthy drinking
gamma alcoholism
emotional and psychological impairment psychological and physical dependence loss of control withdrawal symptoms most prevalent form of alcoholism in America
delta alcoholism
maintenance drinker
cannot abstain for even a day or two
they are impaired, but never freak during their waking hours
epsilon alcoholism
binge drinker
loss of control over amount consumed
physical and psychological dependence
zeta alcoholism
moderate drinker who pecans abusive and violent
may not be addicted to alcohol
alcoholism: the disease
primary chronic disease progressive fatal impaired control advers consequences denial
intoxication
dysfunctional and disruptive changes in physiological and psychologic functioning, mood, and cognitive processes resulting from the consumption of a psychoactive substances
cross-tolerance
transfer of tolerance form one drug to another within the same general category
process addictions
addictions in which people compulsively engage in behaviors such as gambling, shopping, gaming, or sexual activity to such an extreme degree that these addictions cause serious financial, emotional, social, and health problems similar to those resulting from drug and alcohol addictions
dose-response curve
the size of the effect of a drug on the body related to the amount of the drug administered
threshold dose
the least amount of a drug the have an observable effect on the body
stimulants
psychoactive drugs that stimulate the function of the central nervous system
narcolepsy
a sleep disorder in which a person had a recurrent, overwhelming, and uncontrollable desire to sleep
ADHD
above-normal rate of physical movement; often accompanied by an inability to concentrate on a specified task; also called hyperactivity
hallucinogens
psychoactive drugs capable of producing hallucinations
FDA Schedule 1
a list of drugs that have a high potential for abuse but no medical use
metabolite
a breakdown product of a drug
amotivational syndrome
behavioral pattern characterized by lack of interest in productive activities
narcotics
opiates; psychoactive drugs derived from the oriental poppy plant. relieve pain and induce sleep
shock
profound collapse of many vital body functions; evident during acute alcohol intoxication and other health emergencies