Transcript Drug
Spencer A. Rathus
Jeffrey S. Nevid
Chapter 6
Addiction and Drug Abuse
Vicki L Boye, PhD • Concordia University – Nebraska
Chapter 6
Addiction and Drug Abuse
Learning Outcomes:
Discuss the concept of addiction and describe various
addictive behaviors
Discuss various kinds of drugs, including prescription and
over-the-counter drugs
Discuss different types of psychoactive drugs and their
effects
Discuss who uses psychoactive drugs
Explain how people respond to drugs in different ways
Describe pathways to drug abuse and dependence
Discuss ways of becoming and remaining drug free
Addictive Behaviors
Psychological Addiction:
A pattern of compulsive behavior, or habitual use of a drug,
indicating impaired control without physiological signs of
dependence.
Behaviors: Compulsive spending, pathological gambling,
internet addiction
Physiological Addiction:
A state of physical need for a drug, characterized by the
development of a withdrawal syndrome (abstinence
syndrome) following abrupt cessation of use of a particular
drug.
Tolerance: user needs larger amounts or doses of the drug to
achieve same effect
Drug Use, Misuse, Abuse
Drug: chemical affects psychological and
biological function
Drug Misuse: use of a drug not for the purpose or
in the way that is was intended
Over-the-Counter drug: available for sale without
prescription. Easy to misuse
Prescription Drug: Controlled and regulated,
must be prescribed by a doctor
Psychoactive Drugs
• Drugs that act on the brain to affect mental
processes – mood, thought processes, perceptions
and behaviors
• Some are physically addictive, some are illegal
Caffeine #1 drug of choice
Major classes:
Depressants
Stimulants
Hallucinogens
Psychoactive Drugs
Depressants
Stimulants
Lower rate of CNS activity
Increase level of CNS activity
Have potential for psychological
/physical dependence
Have potential for psychological
/physical dependence
•Barbiturates
•Amphetamines
• Sedatives
• Tranquilizers
•Opiates – highly addictive
• Narcotics
• Opium, Morphine,
• Heroin, Codeine
• Tolerance
•Alcohol
• Increase heart rate, BP
• High doses – “rush”
• Suppress appetite – diet
pills
• Methamphetamines
• Amphetamine psychosis
•Cocaine – highly addictive
• Crack, free base
• Cocaine psychosis
Caffeine
• Most widely used psychoactive drug
• Mild stimulant
• For most healthy and non-pregnant adults –
moderate intake of 200-300mg per day poses no
significant risk
• Effects dose-related
Psychoactive Drugs
Hallucinogens
•Alter sensory perceptions, distorting
reality, producing hallucinations
LSD: “acid”
• “trips” ; sensation crossover
Mescaline and Psilocybin
• “peyote”, “magic mushrooms”
Phencyclidine (PCP)
• “angel dust”
• Deliriant
Marijuana
• Most widely used illegal drug
• Mild hallucinogen & relaxant
• Potential physiological
dependence
Club Drugs (Designer)
• Increase risks of sensory
stimulation
• MDMA, GHB, Rohypnol,
ketamine, herbal ecstasy
Inhalants
• Deriliant, also depressant
effects on nervous system
• Quickly absorbed into
bloodstream
Anabolic Steroids
Medical Uses
Psychoactive Drug Use in U.S.
Response to Drugs
Response varies with type of drug, route of
administration, user’s biological response to drug,
user’s frame of mind, presence of other drugs, and
social setting
Routes of Administration:
•
•
•
•
Ingested – typically longer for effect
Injected (directly into bloodstream fastest)
Inhaled or smoked (can reach brain within 10 sec)
Absorbed
Response to Drugs
Dose-response relationship
Biological Responsivity
• Weight, gender, tolerance
Frame of mind
Drug Interactions
• May increase risk of toxicity
• Additive, Synergistic effect, potentiate antagonist
Social Factors
Drug Abuse and Dependence
Drug Abuse: The repeated use of a drug even when
use harms the user’s health, impairs user’s ability to
meet academic, occupation, or family responsibilities,
or exposes the user or others to danger.
Factors Influencing Abuse:
Environmental: peer pressure, exposure, subcultures
Psychological: feelings of hopelessness, self-medication
Genetic: linked to increased risk - predisposition
Biochemical: production of pleasurable effects, damage of
dopamine centers
Drug Dependence
• Stage 1 – Experimentation
• Stage 2 – Routine Use
• Stage 3 – Addiction
Codependence:
A relationship where a codependent is enabling or
assisting in maintaining the drug-dependent
person’s chemical dependency.
Gateway Drugs – stepping stones
Drug Treatment
Detoxification – ridding the body of drugs
Starting point – works through withdrawal
Therapeutic Communities
Drug free residential treatment facilities
Methadone Maintenance
Synthetic opiate blocks “heroin high: prevents
developing withdrawal symptoms
Psychological Interventions
Pharmacotherapeutic Approaches
Antidepressants – treatment of cocaine addiction
Self-Help Organizations (AA, NA, CA, Ala-non)