PSYC 223 - Addiction Film and Discussion (TWO)

What brain changes underlie addiction

Addiction is a compulsive disease driven by changes in reward seeking behaviors that are regulated by our brain’s control circuits (AKA prefrontal cortex)

Smokers, pot users, etc. all lose control over their ability to ______________________

start and stop their drug behavior

Cognitive dissonance

state that results from a tension between a desire and a belief that produces discomfort and anxiety

Cognitive dissonance motivates individuals to…

decrease the inconsistency between one’s wishes and beliefs, and people will go togreat lengths to elminate or reduce this discomfort

How do cravings influence an individual living with addiction

Craving distorts their ability to process information that promotes their drug use

2 things a smoker might say that indicate cognitive dissonance

1. Smoking hasn’t been proven 100% to be a cancer cause

2. It’s better to live a shorter, more enjoyable life experiencing sensual pleasures like smoking than a longer, comparatively joyless life

What organization guides treatment programs and their approaches?

National Institutes on Drug Abuse

What 2 processes do treatment programs typically start with?

1. Detoxification

2. Expression of a strong desire to cut-down or quit by the patietn

Acamprosate mechanism

reduces glutamate receptor expression, reducing cravings

Buprenorphine mechanism of action

a high-affinity partial agonist for the mu-opioid receptor that limits the high of the opioid

4 factors associated with a greater likelihood of relapse during their treatment for a substance use disorder

1. Has relapsed in the past (possibly multiple times)

2. Having a severe withdrawal (very severe symptoms)

3. Not having health insurance to pay for medications

4. Discrimination against addiction

____% of all adult dependent on or abusing alcohol starting drinking before age 21

95

2 opposing brain systems in addiction

1. Go/reward system

2. Stop system

Go/reward brain system

basic to all humans and evolved to help us pursue things necessary for survival

Stop brain system

the brain’s frontal lobes evolved to help us weigh the consequences of our impulses

Suboxone

quick-acting opioid treatment that is most effective in those that have not been taking for as long

_____ million Americans suffer from alcohol use disorder

17

Only _____% of those with alcohol dependence are being treated with medication proven to be effective

5

3 medications for treating alcohol dependence

1. Disulfiram (Antabuse)

2. Acamprosate (Campral)

3. Naltrexone (Revia)

Disulfiram (Antabuse) use

for those in recovery, abstinent, and going into a high risk situation

Acamprosate (Campral) use

works on abstinence symptoms over a long period of time

Naltrexone (Revia) use

if an individual has a drink and relapses, this makes it easier for them to stop

Topiramate use

may correct imbalances in several brain systems, thereby reducing the urge to drink → reduces withdrawal systems and cuts cravings

43% of those seeking but unable to get addiction treatment cite ___________________ as their obstacle

cost or insurance barriers