week 10_addiction, treatment, prevention

Introduction to Drug Addiction

• Focus on drug addiction/misuse and treatment/prevention strategies, including the importance of pharmacology.

Understanding Addiction

• Physical Dependence: Tolerance and withdrawal symptoms; dependent individuals may emerge from medication use.

• Psychological Dependence: Involves craving and compulsive use due to negative reinforcement.

• DSM-5 Criteria: Substance use disorder defined by impaired control, social impairment, risky use, and pharmacological dependence.

Statistics on Drug Use

• Nationwide surveys indicate 79.2% report no illicit drug use; 20.8% report marijuana use primarily, with others like prescription pain relievers and cocaine.

Capture Ratio of Addiction

• Nicotine: ~33% become addicted; heroin: ~25%.

Addiction Phases

• Progression from recreational use to compulsive use with withdrawal and relapse cycles influenced by routes of administration and reward circuitry.

Treatment and Prevention

• Prevention Strategies: Primary (little exposure), secondary (some exposure), tertiary (heavy users).

• Effective: Qualified training and honest discussions; Ineffective: Scare tactics.

• Treatment Options: Includes therapy types and pharmacological treatments (e.g., methadone, naltrexone) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

• Harm Reduction Policies: Initiatives like needle exchange programs to reduce negative consequences of drug misuse.

Conclusion

• Understanding addiction requires a multifaceted approach acknowledging individual, genetic, and social factors, with no one-size-fits-all method for treatment or prevention.