Substance Use and Abuse

Question 1

Affect of Substances

Answer 1

on physiology, behaviour, thoughts and emotions
- alter the way neurons fire

Question 2

Categories of Substances

Answer 2

depressants, stimulants, opiates and opioids, hallucinogens, other abused drugs

Question 3

Levels of Involvement

Answer 3

substance use, intoxication, substance abuse

Question 4

Substance Use

Answer 4

the ingestion of a substance in a way that doesn’t affect social or occupational functioning

Question 5

Intoxication

Answer 5

when the type of drug and/or the amount ingested affects a person’s thoughts, mood, judgement and/or motor control

Question 6

Substance Abuse

Answer 6

when a person’s life is being negatively affected by their substance use; ability to work, relationships and inability to self-support occurs

Question 7

DSM Criteria for Substance Abuse

Answer 7

the pattern of drug must cause clinically significant distress or impairment with at least two of the following symptoms present within a 12 month period
- taken in large amounts and longer period of time than intended
- unsuccessful efforts to reduce drug use
- cravings
- time dedicated to acquiring drugs
- interferes with obligations
- continuing to use the drug through breakdowns
- repeatedly use drugs in physically hazardous situations
- physical or mental conditions negatively affected
- tolerance and withdrawal

Question 8

Tolerance

Answer 8

needing to take more of the drug to experience the same effects or taking the same amount of the drug buts its effects are reduced

Question 9

Withdrawal

Answer 9

physical symptoms like shaking, feeling skin crawling, insomnia, agitation, inability to regulate body temperature, nausea and vomiting, psychological symptoms like anxiety and irritability

Question 10

Causal Factors to Substance Abuse

Answer 10

• low socioeconomic factors, more exposed to stressors and have less access to support and treatment options
• early life stressors
• social environment, friends and family with substance abuse problems (driven by modelling: learned behaviour through observation and imitation)

Question 11

Opponent Process Theory

Answer 11

anti-reward processes

Homeostasis
- bodies attempt to find levels of stability
- starts the opponent process of the drug when the person experiences drug conditioned stimuli

Classical Conditioning
- stimuli associated with drug taking becomes associated with the effects of the drug

demonstrates a cycle of dependency

Question 12

Limitation of Opponent Process Theory

Answer 12

doesn’t explain why some people’s level of involvement stays at substance use and other people move to substance abuse

Question 13

Pleasure Pathway

Answer 13

natural reward system in brain that guides behaviour

Question 14

Dopaminergic System

Answer 14

functions in both the recognition of reward cues and phenomenological experience of pleasure

Question 15

CBT for Substance Abuse

Answer 15

help the patient recognise, avoid and cope with the situations in which they are most likely to abuse drugs

• include exposure therapy
• reduce opponent processes
• include behaviour experiments
• building coping strategies
• psychoeducation

Question 16

Medication for Substance Abuse

Answer 16

methadone for heroin, naltrexone for alcohol can act as controlled replacement for drugs of abuse and allow for gradual reductions in the amount of drug ingested over time
- important for drugs where immediate cessation of the drugs after long periods of the drug can be fatal

Question 17

Issue with Medication for Substance Abuse

Answer 17

whether or not it’s replacing on addiction for another although it is argued that using replacement drugs is a far healthier alternative, positive benefits of replacement therapy

Question 18

Campaigns to Prevent Substance Abuse

Answer 18

• going to schools and addressing mental health problems

Question 19

physiological dependence

Answer 19

increase in tolerance to the drug and negative physical responses without the drug

• can classify substance dependence and addiction