PSY Module 9
alcohol use disorder
(popularly known as alcoholism) alcohol use marked by tolerance, withdrawal, and a drive to continue problematic use.
How is a "shopping addiction" different from the psychological definition of addiction?
: Being strongly interested in something in a way that is not compulsive and dysfunctional is not an addiction. It does not involve obsessive craving in spite of known negative consequences.
Why might alcohol make a person more helpful or more aggressive?
Alcohol is a disinhibitor—it makes us more likely to do what we would have done when sober, whether that is being helpful or being aggressive.
What are depressants, and what are their effects?
Depressants, such as alcohol, barbiturates, and the opiates, dampen neural activity and slow body functions. Alcohol tends to disinhibit, increasing the likelihood that we will act on our impulses, whether harmful or helpful. It also impairs judgment, disrupts memory processes by suppressing REM sleep, and reduces self-awareness and self-control. User expectations strongly influence alcohol's behavioral effects, and alcohol use disorder is marked by tolerance, withdrawal, and a drive to continue problematic use.
What are hallucinogens, and what are their effects?
Hallucinogens—such as LSD and marijuana—distort perceptions and evoke hallucinations—sensory images in the absence of sensory input. The user's mood and expectations influence the effects of LSD, but common experiences are hallucinations and emotions varying from euphoria to panic. Marijuana's main ingredient, THC, may trigger feelings of disinhibition, euphoria, relaxation, relief from pain, and intense sensitivity to sensory stimuli. It may also increase feelings of depression or anxiety, impair motor coordination and reaction time, disrupt memory formation, and damage lung tissue (when inhaled).
Why do tobacco companies try so hard to get customers hooked as teens?
Nicotine is powerfully addictive, and those who start paving the neural pathways when young may find it very hard to stop using nicotine. As a result, tobacco companies may have lifelong customers. Moreover, evidence suggests that if cigarette manufacturers haven't hooked customers by early adulthood, they most likely won't.
Studies have found that people who begin drinking in their early teens are much more likely to develop alcohol use disorder than those who begin at age 21 or after. What possible explanations might there be for this correlation?
Possible explanations include (a) a biological predisposition to both early use and later abuse; (b) brain changes triggered by early use; and (c) enduring habits, attitudes, activities, or peer relationships that foster alcohol misuse.
"How strange would appear to be this thing that men call pleasure! And how curiously it is related to what is thought to be its opposite, pain! ... Wherever the one is found, the other follows up behind." Plato, Phaedo, fourth century B.C.E. How does this pleasure-pain description apply to the repeated use of psychoactive drugs?
Psychoactive drugs create pleasure by altering brain chemistry. With repeated use of the drug, the brain develops tolerance and needs more of the drug to achieve the desired effect. (Marijuana is an exception.) Discontinuing use of the substance then produces painful or psychologically unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.
cocaine
a powerful and addictive stimulant derived from the coca plant; produces temporarily increased alertness and euphoria.
methamphetamine
a powerfully addictive drug that stimulates the central nervous system, with accelerated body functions and associated energy and mood changes; over time, appears to reduce baseline dopamine levels.
nicotine
a stimulating and highly addictive psychoactive drug in tobacco.
ecstacy (MDMA)
a synthetic stimulant and mild hallucinogen. Produces euphoria and social intimacy, but with short-term health risks and longer-term harm to serotonin-producing neurons and to mood and cognition.
near death experience
an altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death (such as cardiac arrest); often similar to drug-induced hallucinations.
Dr. Brooks has a client who suffers from substance use disorder. In therapy, she suggests that his abusive home environment, limited sense of life purpose, and deficient dopamine reward circuits might account for his substance misuse. Dr. Brooks is MOST clearly using a(n) _____ approach to understanding addictive behaviors. Incorrect: social-influence
biopsychosocial
addiction
compulsive craving of drugs or certain behaviors (such as gambling) despite known adverse consequences.
substance use disorder
continued substance craving and use despite significant life disruption and/or physical risk.
Alcohol, barbiturates, and opiates are all in a class of drugs called
depressants
depressants
drugs (such as alcohol, barbiturates, and opiates) that reduce neural activity and slow body functions
stimulant
drugs (such as caffeine, nicotine, and the more powerful amphetamines, cocaine, Ecstasy, and methamphetamine) that excite neural activity and speed up body functions.
barbiturates
drugs that depress central nervous system activity, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgment.
amphetamines
drugs that stimulate neural activity, causing accelerated body functions and associated energy and mood changes
. Near-death experiences are strikingly similar to the experiences evoked by ____________ drugs
hallucinogenic
opiates
opium and its derivatives, such as morphine and heroin; depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety
hallucinogens
psychedelic ("mind-manifesting") drugs, such as LSD, that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input.
tolerance
the diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of a drug, requiring the user to take larger and larger doses before experiencing the drug's effect
withdrawal
the discomfort and distress that follow discontinuing an addictive drug or behavior.
Freida's mother suffers from frequent panic attacks. The doctor has prescribed Nembutal (a depressant drug that reduces anxiety and induces sleep). Nembutal is classified as a(n) _____.
tranquilizer
How has the concept of addiction changed?
Psychologists debate whether the concept of addiction has been stretched too far, and whether addictions are really as irresistible as commonly believed. Addictions can be powerful, and many with addictions do benefit from therapy or group support. But viewing addiction as an uncontrollable disease can undermine people's self-confidence and their belief that they can change. The addiction-as-disease-needing-treatment idea has been extended to a host of excessive, driven behaviors, but labeling a behavior doesn't explain it. The concept of addiction continues to evolve, as psychiatry's manual of disorders now includes behavior addictions such as "gambling disorder" and proposes "Internet gaming disorder" for further study.
Why do some people become regular users of consciousness-altering drugs?
Some people may be biologically vulnerable to particular drugs, such as alcohol. Psychological factors (such as stress, depression, and hopelessness) and social factors (such as peer pressure) combine to lead many people to experiment with—and sometimes become addicted to—drugs. Cultural and ethnic groups have differing rates of drug use. Each type of influence—biological, psychological, and social-cultural—offers a possible path for drug misuse prevention and treatment programs.
What are stimulants, and what are their effects?
Stimulants—including caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, the amphetamines, methamphetamine, and Ecstasy—excite neural activity and speed up body functions, triggering energy and mood changes. All are highly addictive. Nicotine's effects make the use of tobacco products a difficult habit to kick, but the percentage of Americans who use them continues to decrease. Cocaine gives users a fast high, followed within an hour by a crash. Its risks include cardiovascular stress and suspiciousness. Use of methamphetamines may permanently reduce dopamine production. Ecstasy (MDMA) is a combined stimulant and mild hallucinogen that produces euphoria and feelings of intimacy. Its users risk immune system suppression, permanent damage to mood and memory, and (if taken during physical activity) dehydration and escalating body temperatures.
What are substance use disorders, and what roles do tolerance, withdrawal, and addiction play in these disorders?
Those with a substance use disorder may exhibit impaired control, social disruption, risky behavior, and the physical effects of tolerance and withdrawal. Psychoactive drugs are any chemical substances that alter perceptions and moods. They may produce tolerance—requiring larger doses to achieve the desired effect—and withdrawal—significant discomfort accompanying attempts to quit. Continued use may lead to addiction, which is the compulsive craving of drugs or certain behaviors (such as gambling) despite known adverse consequences.
What is the process that leads to drug tolerance?
With repeated exposure to a psychoactive drug, the user's brain chemistry adapts and the drug's effect lessens. Thus, it takes bigger doses to get the desired effect.
What withdrawal symptoms should your friend expect when she finally decides to quit smoking?
Your friend will likely experience strong cravings, insomnia, anxiety, irritability, and distractibility. She'll probably find it harder to concentrate. However, if she sticks with it, the craving and withdrawal symptoms will gradually dissipate over about six months.
psychoactive drug
a chemical substance that alters perceptions and moods.
