Lecture 9- Addiction as a Brain Disease

Question 1

What is Leshner’s main idea?

Answer 1

That addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease that results from the prolonged effects of drugs on the brain. Any treatments should be multifaceted in their approach.

Question 2

What is a benefit of looking at addiction as a brain disease?

Answer 2

It is more humane

Question 3

The more dramatic the withdrawal, the more dangerous the drug

Answer 3

Outdated because
1. withdrawal symptoms can be managed
2. some of the most addicting substances do not produce severe withdrawal

Question 4

What is addiction according to the Leshner article?

Answer 4

Addiction is a chronic, relapsing brain disease

characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences, resulting from prolonged drug effects on the brain.

Question 5

What are the common misconceptions about drug addiction according to Leshner?

Answer 5

Many see addiction as a moral failure or social problem, not recognizing it as a complex disease involving significant changes in brain function.

Question 6

Which part of the brain is commonly affected by drugs of abuse according to Leshner?

Answer 6

Drugs of abuse commonly affect the mesolimbic reward system, including the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens, leading to addiction.

Question 7

In Leshners article, why is it important to recognize addiction as a brain disease?

Answer 7

It can inform more effective treatment approaches and policies

Question 8

What barriers exist in effectively treating addiction?

Answer 8

Stigma, ingrained ideologies, and a lag in applying scientific knowledge to practice and policy hinder effective addiction treatment and prevention efforts.

Question 9

How should addiction be viewed in terms of its course?

Answer 9

Like other chronic diseases such as diabetes or hypertension, addiction often involves cycles of relapse and remission, requiring ongoing management rather than a one-time cure.

Question 10

Differences in the addicted brain

Answer 10

-Receptor availability

-Gene expression

-Responsiveness to environmental cues.

Question 11

What should the goals of treatment be?

Answer 11

Reverse and compensate for the brain changes.

Question 12

How does the diseased brain perspective influence drug policies and societal views on drug use?

Answer 12

This perspective leads to unrealistic, costly, and harmful drug policies by emphasizing law enforcement and neglecting the role of socioeconomic factors in drug addiction, perpetuating social injustice and discrimination.

Question 13

What is a neuro-exaggeration

Answer 13

Unfounded remarks about drugs and the brain

Question 14

How do neuro-exaggerations contribute to drug policy and societal perceptions?

Answer 14

Have shaped an environment seeking to eliminate certain drug uses at great cost, often based on racial discrimination and unsupported scientific evidence.

Question 15

What does Carl L. Hart propose in response to the issues raised in his article?

Answer 15

Hart calls for an end to allowing neuro-exaggerations to dictate drug policies and etc.

Question 16

What is neuroplasticity?

Answer 16

Neuroplasticity describes the brain’s ability to change and adapt as a result of experience. It’s fundamental to learning, forming habits, and the development of addiction.

Question 17

How does the brain’s design for learning relate to addiction?

Answer 17

The brain adapts and learns from the environment, forming habits through repeated experiences

Question 18

What role do emotions play in habit formation and addiction?

Answer 18

Emotions, especially strong ones like desire, significantly influence the brain’s learning process.

Question 19

What is the difference between brain changes in addiction and other learning processes?

Answer 19

Addiction represents a misuse of the brain’s natural learning capabilities, where the pursuit of addictive substances or behaviors becomes a dominant compulsion.

Question 20

How does addiction integrate with a person’s personality?

Answer 20

Addiction becomes interwoven with a person’s habits and personality traits.

Question 21

Why is understanding addiction as a part of human development important?

Answer 21

Recognizing addiction as a result of the brain’s natural learning and development processes challenges the notion of it being merely a disease, emphasizing the role of experience, environment, and personal growth in addressing addiction.

Question 22

How is addiction related to the brain’s feedback loops?

Answer 22

Addiction exploits the brain’s natural feedback loops, where experiences shape brain structure, which in turn influences future experiences. Intense desires and repetitive exposure to addictive stimuli strengthen these loops, deepening addiction.

Question 23

What makes addiction different from other habits?

Answer 23

1. It’s a habit of thinking and feeling, a mental habit
2. The feeling part of addiction always includes the feeling of desire
3. Its a habit that becomes compulsive