TLSAE Alcohol and other drugs (Part 2)

CH. 1

People start drinking and using drugs for a variety of reasons. For example:

• They are used to seeing their parents or other adults drink responsibly, and so don't believe the negative effects could happen to them.

• They want to fit in with friends who already drink or use drugs.

• They're worried about potential effects but curious about the appeal to others.

Most people start using alcohol or drugs thinking that they'll be able to handle it. In truth, they have no idea what they're in for.

feelings → changed

lcohol use effects are:

• Attention: The ability to concentrate, especially on multiple subjects at once, is diminished.

• Memory: Inability to store and retain information has been found to occur with a BAL as low as .03.

• Emotions: Mood is altered and emotional control is lost over time.

• Aggression: Aggressive behavior is enhanced, especially in competitive situations.

people can reognize limits / others dont

In general, a person will begin to abuse alcohol or drugs because he or she feels a need to maintain the psychological effects that are associated with them.

• Alcohol and other depressants can make depression worse, causing sad feelings to worsen and last longer.

• Stimulants can cause compulsive, erratic behavior without any consideration of the consequences.

• Extreme stress, sleeplessness, detachment, and fear can also result from alcohol and drug abuse.

• Alcohol is considered a gateway drug. Once a person starts drinking, he or she may begin to look for more extreme experiences and then become more likely to abuse other drugs.

• Because anyone over 21 can buy large amounts of alcohol from any number of stores, and because images of alcohol are culturally pervasive, it's easy to get into the habit of drinking.

• People who drink more are more likely to seek the company of other drinkers and avoid those who abstain from alcohol.

• Alcohol causes people to ignore risks, so drinkers tend to become less concerned about its effects the more they drink.

chronic use of alchohol

• Increased hostility and aggression

• Difficulty concentrating and forming memories

• Problems with depth perception and language recollection

• Loss of interest in attending work, taking part in activities, maintaining dress and hygiene, and eating

• Loss of self-control, especially over their drinking

• Guilt and deceptiveness, especially concerning their drinking

• Severe anxiety or depression

young people are especially likely to abuse alcohol or drugs:

• The organs of minors aren't fully formed, making them more vulnerable to alcohol and drugs. A person whose organs mature in the presence of alcohol is likely to develop tolerance sooner and continue to need alcohol to function normally.

• Because they're unfamiliar with how alcohol or drugs will affect their bodies, and because their bodies tend to recover faster, young people often can't recognize the line between healthy and unhealthy use.

• Young people tend to rely more heavily on alcohol and drugs to cope with their problems since they haven't developed better ways to do so. As a result, they're more likely to deal with adult problems (with a marriage, job, money, etc.) in the same way.

Most addicts are characterized by one or more of the following psychological conditions:

• A desire to give up conscious control

• Unresolved anxiety and self-esteem issues

• A need to reduce excess tension

• A desire to distance oneself from bad memories

• Conscious or unacknowledged aggression

• Emotional instability

• Dependence describes a user's physical reliance on a drug. While dependence is often unhealthy, it is not necessarily so: for instance, a person who is dependent on insulin to treat his or her diabetes will be more able to enjoy a normal life than he or she would be otherwise.

• Addiction describes a condition that is always at least partially psychological, and that involves compulsive behavior even when there are negative consequences.

Neurotransmitters in the brain, such as dopamine, play a significant role in most addictions.

• activates feelings and pressure in the brain

Alcohol and drugs magnify this effect in addicts because they disrupt the distribution of dopamine in the brain, either by causing an excess of dopamine to be released, or changing the way that the brain processes dopamine. As a result, the addict's compulsive tendencies are amplified and he or she is more likely to become physically dependent on the drug.

Remember that due to its physiological effects, alcohol causes negative psychological effects including:

• Impaired judgment

• Poor concentration

• Impaired thinking and reasoning

• Compulsiveness

• Exaggerated feelings of anger, fear, and anxiety

when a family member tries to describe an addict's problem as a sickness, or to tell an addict that he or she merely needs to start making better choices, the addict may begin to doubt his or her own ability to change even more. It's also possible that an addict assigned to an "in-patient" treatment program may feel isolated, alone, and rejected by society.

to deal with these overwhelming feelings, many addicts go into denial, unconsciously convincing themselves that it is everyone else who has a problem. They make excuses for their actions.

CH. 2

People addicted to drugs are often unable to keep appointments, carry on conversations, maintain personal hygiene, behave ethically, or give proper attention to those they care about.
Ultimately, it will only be up to you to stop using drugs. At first, your best friends and your closest family members may try to help you get rid of a drug addiction. But despite all their help and encouragement, and despite the fact that your body will be steadily deteriorating, you may not even want to stop.

(Adiction → want to not stop → doesnt)

You may run away from or even try to hurt a close friend or family member who tries to restrict your access to drugs.

drug addiction → lossing job

The same illegal activity, failure to maintain personal hygiene, drastic personality changes, and disinterest in social life that alienate friends and family make addicts bad employees.

caught with drugs? fired.

As an addict, you will be unable to avoid testing positive, which will lose you your job.

Once out of work, you will have to try to borrow money from friends and family, further alienating them. If you can't borrow money, you will have to steal it. Losing your job to a drug addiction begins a deadly spiral of increasing desperation for drugs and money.

EXTREMLY IMPORTANT →

Remember: fines for just the first DUI conviction begin at $500 for a BAL of .08 or higher, and $1,000 for a BAL of .15 or higher or if there is a minor in the vehicle. An additional $10 can be charged for every hour of community service waived, up to $500 for 50 hours.
Fines for subsequent convictions can reach a minimum of $4,000 with no maximum fine.

could be fined $10,000 for your third DUI conviction if your BAL is .15 or higher

Reduction in memory has been found to occur with a BAL as low as .03.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles says the cost of a single DUI arrest can exceed $20,000.

financial problems caused by drug abuse and arrests. These include:

• Loss of job

• Loss of education

• Loss of family support

• Cost of drugs

The dangers of being convicted of a drug offense include:

• You may be fired from your job.

• You may be expelled from or denied entrance to an educational institution.

• Your insurance rates will increase.

• You may be ineligible for certification as a doctor or lawyer.

• You may be subjected to increased fines and jail time for other convictions.

CH. 3

Alcohol and other drugs severely damage your judgment.

A special danger of drug use is that you may not realize you are impaired. If you knew you were impaired, you would probably behave with more caution. But on drugs, you'll often believe your abilities have been heightened, causing you to behave even more recklessly. This can be deadly.

Hallucinations → beliving stuff is there but is not

Deppresants → slows body down

Stimulants → heightens focus → loss of physical coordination will make it more difficult to carry out decisions.

CH. 4

gateway drug - This means that alcohol use is often the first step towards becoming a user of illegal drugs.

over 21 can go to a store and buy large amounts of alcohol, and because of its cultural prevalence, alcohol is often the first drug many people abuse.

In 2013, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found that 52.2% of Americans age 12 or older reported being current alcohol users. This fact demonstrates the widespread use of alcohol.

CH. 5

Mini test - 65 🤯

CH. 6

People drink for many reasons, but they are often misguided or pressured into drinking. Before you put any alcohol in your body, understand that you always have a choice. Nobody can force you to drink-you're in control of that.

Alcohol will not solve your problems. It will only make matters worse.

alcohol no equal cool
Alcohol doesn't make you forget your problems, either. You're more likely to dwell on sad thoughts when drinking, and you'll have more difficulty than normal thinking of ways to actually solve your problems.

Finally, drinking alcohol to escape social pressures against nondrinkers is also a harmfully foolish decision. Some people will always pressure you if you're around them-pressure you to drink, to smoke, to drive too fast, or to do any number of other dangerous things.

Don't give in to peer pressure-you'll only expose yourself to increasingly forceful and dangerous influences.

Knowing how not to cope with problems is useful, but it's not always enough. The following advice is simple, but can be a very positive place to start.

• If you're worried about being cool or fitting in, just be yourself. You'll earn the most respect, and the most honest admiration, by following your own beliefs.

• If there are sad thoughts on your mind, talk about them with someone. Sharing these thoughts with another person is often the best way to find a solution. If you really don't feel comfortable talking about your troubles, try writing about them. Putting your troubles into words can help you understand them better.

CH. 8

First, it is important to understand that driving is not something you can do safely when you're in a bad mood, or when you're misinformed about driving.

In short, a good driver must have appropriate positive driver attitude.

Beyond affecting your coordination and judgment, drug use of any kind can also make these psychological problems worse. In the next several slides, we'll discuss:

• How these problems make appropriate positive driver attitude impossible

• How drugs make these problems worse

• How you can deal with these problems effectively

stress can be seen as…

• Increased nervousness and anxiety can make the driver worry excessively, driving too slowly or attempting to avoid dangers that don't exist.

• Depression and general distraction can make the driver miss turns and exits, forget to check blind spots or signal, or fail to observe the situation on the road.

• Irritability can cause the driver to overreact to minor delays and mistakes, leading to aggressive and reckless driving.

drugs → cause stress → cause problem → worst ilfe

How to Deal with Stress Effectively

There are many ways to reduce and eventually eliminate stress.

• Exercise regularly and eat right. This will help to adjust your body's chemicals so that you feel healthy and happy.

• Talk to a friend, family member, or other acquaintance about how you feel. It can be extremely helpful-you may learn new ways to relieve stress, or you may come to a happier understanding of your situation.

• Get enough sleep. It will make a huge difference in how you feel. Try to get at least eight hours every night-your body uses this time to repair, recharge, and refresh itself.

• Avoid drugs. Unless specifically prescribed to you by your doctor for treating stress, drugs will only increase your stress.

FATIGUE = AFFECTS DRIVERS

• Your alertness to your surroundings is diminished. You will be less vigilant for hazards and changing road conditions.

• Your perception and judgment are weakened. You will have less awareness and less understanding of sensory input.

• Your vision, physical coordination, and reaction time are all damaged. You might be unable to focus, especially sensitive to light, and clumsy and slow to turn the wheel, brake, or accelerate.

FATIGUE = CAR CRASH

Using a drug while fatigued will only further increase your inability to drive safely.

FATIGUE + DRUGS = CRASH

Depressants will make you far more fatigued, greatly suppressing your bodily and mental faculties. You will be far more likely to fall asleep at the wheel.

Stimulants can also increase fatigue. Even when they make you feel more alert, however, they can cause dizziness and an inability to focus. As stimulants wear off, fatigue increases sharply.

Hallucinogens will greatly decrease perception and judgment. They will further contribute to the possibility of hallucination that already exists with high levels of fatigue.

Get sleep before driving. Driving while tired is harmful.

• Exercise regularly and eat right. You will have more energy during the day and will be able to sleep better at night.

• Avoid drugs. Drugs will only make fatigued driving more dangerous.

• Follow your body's advice. If you're tired, you need to sleep. If you must drive, take a nap first. When you drive drowsy, you're risking your life.

Emotions on road 🤯

• Anger can cause you to see other drivers as your enemies, and can make you drive in ways that are designed to upset or offend others.

• Impatience can cause you to make unsafe decisions about lane changes, passing other vehicles, running red lights and stop signs, and many other things.

• Sadness can distract you from the road and delay your judgment and reaction time.

• Worry can also be very distracting, causing you to spend mental energy thinking about problems other than those in front of you on the road.

drugs + emotions negative = bad

How to Deal with Emotional Distress Effectively

Emotional distress may feel difficult to see past or overcome, but it is possible to relieve it.

• As with stress, talk to a friend, family member, or other acquaintance about how you feel. They can offer sympathy, understanding, and help figuring out how to relieve your distress.

• Avoid drugs. Your mind has natural coping mechanisms that only work when it is free from the influence of drugs.

• Cry if you have to. Try to feel and understand your emotions rather than suppress them. Keep in mind that it's okay to be angry; it's just not okay to relieve your anger by taking it out on others.

crying = good

‘Stress has the following effects on driver attitude: nervousness, anxiety, depression, distraction, irritability.

Emotional distress has the following effects on driver attitude: anger, impatience, sadness, worry.

Irritability can cause a driver to overreact to minor delays and mistakes and lead to road rage

CH. 9

TEST - 90