Substance Related Disorders

Physiological Dependence

Body comes to depend on a steady supply of the
substance for normal functioning; A risk for people on strong pain meds

Psychological Dependence

An emotional / attentional compulsion to keep
using a drug; this is possible not just for substances, but for experiences

___ effect can multiply effects of similar drugs
used together

synergistic

Antagonistic action

– Taking opposing types of drugs can lead to buildup of toxic levels of one type as it doesn’t get properly metabolized

Withdrawal

In absence of higher doses, person feels aversive
symptoms

Tolerance

Previous experience with the drug

Mental set

Can be based on culture – religious practice; Can lead to placebo effec

Substance use disorder

Focused on patterns of usage and loss of control over usage

Substance use disorder current severity

Mild: Presence of 2 or 3 symptoms; Moderate: Presence of 4 or 5 symptoms; Severe: Presence of 6 or more symptoms

Substance Induced Disorders

Intoxication, withdrawal, other states induced by usage, eg psychosis

GABA agonists

Slow down activity in the CNS heightening sensitivity of GABA receptors

Depressants; Often abused in tranquilizers, barbiturates, benzodiazepines

(Xanax, Valium)

Risk factors for alcoholism; Gender

men twice as likely as women

Risk factors for alcoholism; age

dependence usually develops in early adulthood

Risk factors for alcoholism; family history

both biologically and socially

Risk factors for alcoholism; Lower

SES

Alcohol and physical health; Linked to liver disease ___ and digestive system cancers

cirrhosis

Korsakoff’s syndrome –

amnesia

Wernicke’s disease

delirium and tremors, balance

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in

pregnant women

Stimulants increase

overall levels of neural activity by functioning as dopamine agonists

Stimulants used legally in

cigarettes, treatment of ADHD

Stimulants used illegally in

amphetamines, cocaine

Cocaine most widely abused

illegal stimulant, but in decline

Cocaine inhibits reuptake of

dopamine and norepinephrine

Symptoms of amphetamine and cocaine addiction sometimes similar to symptoms of

schizophrenia

Opiates

– Pain drugs second only to marijuana in abuse rates

short for “endogenous morphine”

endorphin

Opiates

– Relieve pain in legal use; Oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, Fentanyl

Hallucinogenic drugs (psychedelics)

– Disrupt normal thought or sensory processes, induce hallucinations

Hallucinogenic drugs often work as

serotonin and/or glutamate agonists, but more biochemically diverse than other categories

Hallucinogenic drugs psychological/physiological addictiveness ….

not well known

Controversial claim; Based on study of 400 by Harvard psychologist

Timothy Leary

Active ingredient of Marijuana

THC

Most widely used illegal drug

Marijuana

Marijuana chronic use interfere with

short-term memory

Marijuana dependence is primarily

psychological

Antagonist drugs:

Antabuse (disulfiram); inhibits metabolism of alcohol, based on taste aversion learning

___ ___and removal of withdrawal symptoms reward continued drinking via negative reinforcement

tension reduction

Classical conditioning model of cravings

associations between positive feelings and drug

Social learning

Emulation of parents, peers

Behavioral self-control training

Involves use of diaries to become aware of usage
patterns and triggers

Cue exposure method

Progressive exposures to train to refuse alcohol

Expectancy model

We expect certain effects based on our own beliefs; both correct and incorrect; based on stated beliefs of peers

Self-efficacy expectancies

Stimulants enhance belief in our abilities

People can go on binges after one drink based on
expectancy any slip triggers a

binge

__ prevention training trains people to put relapses in perspective, to not overreact

relapse