PSYC 223 Assingment #4 - Drug Misuse and Addiction (TWO)

3 harmful consequences of drug use for teens

1. Poor school performance

2. Drop out

3. Increased risk of dependence

3 harmful consequences of drug use for adults

1. Problems thinking clearly

2. Difficulty for memory and focus

3. Work performance and personal relationships suffer

4 harmful consequences of drug use for parents

1. Chaotic

2. Stress-filled homes

3. Child abuse

4. Neglect

3 harmful consequences of drug use for babies exposed in the womb

1. Prematurity

2. Low birth weight

3. Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS)

Why is addiction classified as a brain disorder?

Classified as a brain disorder because it involves functional changes in reward circuits

What do PET scans show in the brains of non-cocaine users vs. cocaine users

Less levels of D2 dopamine receptor and less striatum activity

4 reaons people take drugs

1. Feelings of pleasure, euphoria, and increased energy

2. To feel less anxious or depressed

3. Performance improvement

4. Curiosity and social pressure

Heritability of addiction risk

40-60%

2 factors that increase risk of addiction after initial drug use

1. Early use

2. How a drug is taken (smoked and injected drugs are more addictive)

During what periods of life does one’s risk of drug use increase greatly?

During times of transition  (i.e. losing a job, family divorce, changing schools, etc.)

Basal ganglia function

Region responsible for motivation – including the pleasurable effects of eating, socializing and sex – and routine

Basal ganglia in drug use

Drugs overactive the basal ganglia, producing euphoria

Extended amygdala function

plays a role in anxiety, irritability, and unease, which characterize withdrawal after drug high fades

Extended amygdala in drug use

Becomes increasingly sensitive with increased drug use

Prefrontal cortex in drug use

shifting balance between this circuit and basal ganglia and extended amygdala circuits make someone with a substance disorder seek the drug compulsively with reduced impulse control

What causes euphoria in drug use?

Euphoria is caused by surges of endorphins (natural opioids) and other neurotransmitters in the basal ganglia (reward circuit)

What does dopamine signaling cause in addiction?

Dopamine signal causes changes in connectivity that make it easier to repeat a pleasurable activity again and again without thinking, leading to habit formation

Difference between normal rewards and drug rewards

• The brain of someone who misuses drugs adjusts by producing fewer neurotransmitters in the reward circuit, or by reducing the number of receptors that can receive signal

• The person’s ability to experience pleasure from naturally rewarding activities is also therefore reduced

Health risk specifically associated with methamphetamine

Can cause severe dental problems, known as meth mouth

Health risk especially associated with inhalants

Some drugs (like inhalants) may destroy nerve cells in the brain or PNS

9 severe health problems associated with drug use

1. CVD

2. Stroke

3. Cancer

4. HIV/AIDS

5. Hepatitis B and C

6. Endocarditis

7. Cellulitis

8. Lung disease

9. Mental health conditions

Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS)

A mother’s substance or medication use during pregnancy can cause her baby to go into withdrawal after it’s born

3 symptoms of NAS

1. Tremors

2. Sleeping and feeding problems

3. Seizures

Some drug exposed children with have developmental problems with what 3 mental processes?

1. Behavior

2. Attention

3. Thinking

Secondhand smoke exposure increases risk of what 2 conditions?

1. Cardiovascular disease

2. Lung cancer

Study showing effects of secondhand exposure to THC smoke

One study showed that nonsmoking participants exposed for an hour to high-THC marijuana in an unventilated room reported mild effects of drug, and another showed positive urine tests following exposure

Injection of drugs accounts for 1 in 10 cases of _____

HIV

Injection drug use increases risk for what 3 conditions (other than HIV)?

1. Hepatitis C

2. Endocarditis

3. Cellulitis

What drug is most closely associated with MVAs, and what are 3 reasons why this happens?

Marijuana

1. Increase in lane weaving

2. Poor reaction time

3. Altered attention to the road

Can drug addiction be cured?

Drug addiction can be treated and managed, but cannot be cured

First line of moderate to severe addiction treatment?

Medication should be the first line of addiction treatment for opioids like fentanyl, combined with behavioral therapy or counseling

What types of addictions cannot be treated with medication?

Addictions to drugs like stimulants or cannabis cannot be treated with medication

3 uses of drug addiction medications/devices

1. Treating withdrawal

2. Staying in treatment

3. Preventing relapse

4 medications used to treat opioid addiction and withdrawal

1. Methadone

2. Buprenorphine

3. Extended-release naltrexone

4. Lofexidine

3 medications used to treat nicotine addiction and withdrawal

1. Nicotine replacement therapies (patch, inhaler, or gum)

2. Bupropion

3. Varenicline

3 medications used to treat alcohol addiction and withdrawal

1. Naltrexone

2. Disulfiram

3. Acamprosate

5 behavioral therapies for drug addiction

1. CBT

2. Contingency management

3. Motivational enhancement therapy

4. Family therapy

5. 12-step facilitation (TSF)

Cognitive behavioral therapy for addiction

seeks to help patients recognize, avoid, and cope with the situations in which they’re most likely to use drugs

Contingency management

uses positive reinforcement for attending and participating in counseling sessions or for taking medications as prescribed

Motivational enhancement therapy

uses strategies to make the most of people’s readiness to change their behavior and enter treatment

Family therapy

helps people with drug use problems and their families address influences on drug use patterns and improve overall family functioning

12 step facilitation (TSF)

12 weekly sessions to prepare people to become engaged in 12-step mutual support programs - follows the 12-step themes of acceptance, surrender, and active involvement in recovery