Substance Use Basics

Question 1

What is the most commonly used illicit drug?

Answer 1

Marijuana

Question 2

What is NSDUH?

Answer 2

National Survey on Drug Use and Health

Question 3

What age group has the highest percentage of substance use disorder?

Answer 3

1. 18-25
2. 26+
3. 12-17

Question 4

What is the process of addiction?

Answer 4

Progressing from experimental and social use to dependency and addiction.

Question 5

What are the stages of addiction?

Answer 5

AESAC
1. Abstinence
2. Experimental
3. Social
4. Abuse
5. Chemical Dependency

Question 6

What is a substance use disorder?

Answer 6

Patterns of symptoms resulting from use of a substance which the individual continues to take, despite experiencing problems.

Question 7

What is a substance-induced disorder?

Answer 7

1. Psychosis
2. bipolar
3. depressive/anxiety disorders
4. OCD
5. Sleep disorders
6. sexual dysfunctions
7. delirium
8. neurocognitive disorders

Question 8

What are the 11 substance use disorder criteria on the DSM-5?

Answer 8

Amount, control, time, and cravings, importance, social, obligations, harm, risk, tolerance, withdrawal

Question 9

What are the DSM-5 substance use severity criteria?

Answer 9

Mild = 2-3 symptoms
Moderate = 4-5 symptoms
6+ = severe symptoms

Question 10

How many years on average does it take to progress to dependency?

Answer 10

5-10 years

Question 11

What is recovery?

Answer 11

The process of initiating and maintaining abstinence from alcohol or other drug use.

Question 12

What is assessment?

Answer 12

Using diagnostic instruments and processes to determine an individual’s needs and problems.

Question 13

What is patient-treatment matching?

Answer 13

Ensures an individual receives the type of treatment corresponding with his or her personality, background, mental condition, and the extent and duration of substance abuse determined by the assessment.

Question 14

What are comprehensive services?

Answer 14

Range of services needed in addition to alcohol and drug treatment.

Question 15

What is relapse prevention?

Answer 15

Assesses individuals triggers that rekindle the need for drugs.

Question 16

What is accountability?

Answer 16

The accountability of treatment programs to maintain integrity, results, etc. Treatment programs need to be evaluated.

Question 17

What are 5 critical components of treatment?

Answer 17

1. Comprehensive assessment
2. Patient-treatment matching.
3. Comprehensive services.
4. Relapse prevention
5. Accountability

Question 18

What are CNS depressants?

Answer 18

Sedative hypnotics (benzos, barbiturates, and sleep aids, alcohol, and opioids.
Increases GABA which inhibits or slows brain activity.

Question 19

What are stimulants?

Answer 19

Amphetamines, cocaine, nicotine, and caffeine.
increases CNS activity by releasing catecholamines from the adrenal glands.

Question 20

What are catecholamines?

Answer 20

Hormones like epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine.

Question 21

Hallucinogens

Answer 21

LSD, mushrooms, MDMA (ecstasy), ketamine, and synthetic cannabinoids like K2.
Affect parasympathetic nervous system and the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.

Question 22

Cannabis

Answer 22

Stimulates cannabinoid receptors that produce THC and CBD chemical compounds.

Question 23

Inhalants

Answer 23

Gases, aerosols, volatile solvents, nitrites (inhalants that work as vasodilators).
Suppress the action of the CNS.

Question 24

Performance Enhancing Drugs

Answer 24

Anabolic steroids.
Activate androgen receptors and increase calcium levels.

Question 25

10 Categories of Substances Within the DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria

Answer 25

1. Alcohol 2. Caffeine 3. Canabis 4. Hallucinogens 5. Inhalants 6. Opioids 7. Sedatives 8. Hypnotics 9. Stimulants 10. Tobacco

Question 26

Dependency

Answer 26

Brain disease characterized by uncontrollable desire to consume increased quantities of psychoactive substances.

Question 27

Tolerance

Answer 27

Causes individual to require and increased amount of substance to attain the desired effect.

Question 28

Forms of Tolerance

Answer 28

1. Behavioral tolerance (someone feels even more functional when intoxicated) 2. Dispositional/metabolic tolerance (metabolism accelerates) 3. Cross-tolerance (same pharmaceutical family) 4. Pharmacodynamic tolerance (brain becomes desensitized) 5. Reverse tolerance (ex. liver damage) 6. Select tolerance (some effects experienced, others not.)

Question 29

4 Stages of Withdrawal

Answer 29

1. Initial symptoms (few hours to 24 hours) 2. Intensification of symptoms like body aches, sleep disturbances, depression) 3. Post acute (sharp peak then decline in symptoms, weeks to months) 4. PAWS - months to years (memory, mood swings, cravings, etc.)

Question 30

3 Steps of Detox Management

Answer 30

1. Screening, assessment, and evaluation 2. Stabilization 3. Treatment Engagement

Question 31

Half-life

Answer 31

Duration of time it takes for half of a substance to be eliminated from the body.

Question 32

Metabolism

Answer 32

Process through which a substance is eliminated from the body (primarily in the liver.)

Question 33

Routes of drug administration

Answer 33

1. oral 2. inhaled 3. intravenous 4. intramuscular 5. subcutaneous (beneath skin) 6. nasal 7. sublingual (under tongue) 8. transdermal (absorbed into skin)

Question 34

What is the fastest method of administering drugs?

Answer 34

1. injection 2. snorting 3. substances placed in mucous membrane

Question 35

What is the slowest method of administering drugs?

Answer 35

Oral

Question 36

Amphetamines

Answer 36

Cause a dopamine release, synthetic psychoactive substance like meth. Schedule 2. Made with over the counter allergy meds.

Question 37

What two substances have the most hazardous or lethal withdrawal symptoms?

Answer 37

Alcohol and benzodiazepines

Question 38

What is social or supervised detox?

Answer 38

Reserved for individuals with non lethal withdrawal symptoms.

Question 39

SAEST

Answer 39

Phases of detox management 1. Screening, assessment, evaluation 2. Stabilization 3. Tx engagement