Health 111 Chapter 8 Homework

Part C - Over-the-Counter and Prescription Drug Misuse and Abuse Over-the-counter and prescription drugs are designed to help us live better lives by, for example, managing pain and inflammation, alleviating insomnia, or improving concentration. When they are used within the intended guidelines and for the intended purposes, they can be very effective. However, they are too often misused and abused. Teenagers, young adults, and people over 65 are the most vulnerable to the abuse of sleep aids, cold medicines, cough syrups, and diet pills in order to get high. Prescription drugs, especially opioids like Vicodin, Percodan, and OxyContin (Oxy), are abused by more than 1.8 million Americans. About 6% of college students report using these kind of painkillers when they were not prescribed to them in the past 12 months. This abuse results in hundreds of thousands of emergency department visits annually and thousands of overdose deaths. These drugs are used to treat pain by blocking the sensation of pain, but can cause respiratory depression, coma, and death when taken incorrectly. Prescription drugs used to manage attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are misused. Some college students are using Adderall, Ritalin, and Concerta when they don't have a prescription for them. About 8% of students report using these kinds of stimulants without a prescription in the past 12 months. These drugs are stimulants that increase blood flow and levels of neurotransmitters in the brain and improve concentration and attention. Some students abuse these drugs in an effort to improve their academic performance. Studies show that these drugs do not necessarily contribute to better academic performance, and they can have serious side effects. Large doses of these drugs can cause psychosis, seizures, and increased or erratic heart rates that can lead to heart attack or stroke. Even in small doses, they can disrupt normal sleep patterns and cause nervousness, headaches, decreased appetite, and fever. Perhaps most importantly, they are highly addictive. When students stop taking them, withdrawal symptoms can include exhaustion, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and thoughts of suicide. Read the scenario and choose the statements that best describe the outcomes of misuse and abuse of prescription drugs. Jayna is a serious college athlete who is struggling to maintain her grades during the busy soccer season. She is used to living and playing with pain after multiple ankle injuries in junior high, high school, and college. She has four leftover bottles with pills in them from prescriptions for Vicodin and OxyContin for treatment she received after injuries over the last 6 years. She has developed a tolerance to the painkillers and has to take twice as much as was originally prescribed to get the pain relief she needs to keep up in practices and games. Without the prescriptions, she can't get through a typical day. In addition, she is very worried about passing her class on American history. She has never been good at remembering historical facts and has shared her worries with her teammates. Katie has ADHD and was prescribed Ritalin by her physician to help her control her symptoms. This semester Katie has given Jayna some of the Ritalin to take the night before exams to help her study, so she can perform better in history. They both think that Jayna's taking the Ritalin is working since Jayna passed her last exam. Select all that apply. -Although the painkillers may be a problem for Jayna, the use of Ritalin is just as serious since combining the use of stimulants and pain management drugs increases her risk of negative health outcomes. -As long as Jayna is only taking the painkillers that were prescribed for her, it doesn't matter how many of them she takes at one time. She should take as many as necessary to control her pain and continue playing. Many athletes use painkillers to treat their painful injuries. -Jayna does not meet the criteria for abuse of prescription drugs because she is not buying them from anyone on the street and most of them were prescribed for her by her physician. -Jayna fits the description of a drug addict because she has developed a tolerance to pain killers and requires them to perform her normal functions.

-Although the painkillers may be a problem for Jayna, the use of Ritalin is just as serious since combining the use of stimulants and pain management drugs increases her risk of negative health outcomes. -Jayna fits the description of a drug addict because she has developed a tolerance to pain killers and requires them to perform her normal functions.

Part B - How the Body Responds to Drug Misuse and Abuse The brain is a very complex organ that operates with amazing efficiency. The limbic system of the brain senses and regulates emotions and communicates with the parts of the brain that are involved in memory, perception, thought, and consciousness. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that carry signals from one neuron to another neuron or another kind of body cell. One of the primary neurotransmitters in the limbic system of the brain is dopamine. When dopamine is released and available, it causes an individual to feel pleasure, and that pleasure is a motivator for behavior. Feelings of pleasure are essential to survival since they reinforce the need to eat, exercise, develop relationships, and have self-efficacy. Drugs of abuse interfere with the normal action of dopamine. They block its production, enhance its effects, or suppress its actions. For instance, cocaine changes the normal chemical balance in the brain and can affect judgment, decision making, emotional perceptions, and other brain functions since it interferes with normal dopamine action. Adam is a cocaine addict and has used for 5 years. He has tried to quit, but experiences severe depression and inability to concentrate that interferes with his doing his job as a stock analyst when he stops using cocaine. He believes that the cocaine is enhancing his abilities and that he needs to continue using in order to function in his fast-paced work environment. What effects of cocaine on dopamine production and activity in the brain is Adam experiencing? -Cocaine is having no effect on dopamine, but is enhancing Adam's ability to think clearly by increasing his concentration. -Cocaine is decreasing the production of dopamine in the limbic system and creates a calm emotional state that helps Adam concentrate despite the chaotic work environment around him. -Cocaine is increasing the production of dopamine in the limbic system and that reinforces Adam's cognitive abilities, allowing him to think clearly. -Cocaine is preventing dopamine from being reabsorbed by the neurons so that there is more present in the brain, and the brain has become dependent on this increased concentration to produce pleasure and stimulate brain function.

-Cocaine is preventing dopamine from being reabsorbed by the neurons so that there is more present in the brain, and the brain has become dependent on this increased concentration to produce pleasure and stimulate brain function.

Part E - Coping with Addiction Watch the following video about one student's experience with addiction. Ana used Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) to help her deal with her addiction problems. These are both 12-step programs that focus on group support and education to address addiction. There are other options for treatment, such as medical interventions with drugs like methadone and Suboxone as well as personal and group counseling available through private health centers, community groups, and university resources. In many communities, court sentences include treatment and recovery strategies as they deal with the legal consequences that drug addicts face. Public awareness campaigns and drug testing are two prevention strategies that are widely used to help people avoid addiction. However, society still has much to learn about addiction and how to effectively treat it. When an addict seeks recovery, he or she faces many barriers. Which is the most significant barrier from the list below? Choose the best answer. -Inability to recognize addiction and the negative consequences that result from it usually is the most significant barrier. -Ineffective treatment for stimulant addiction is the most significant barrier. -Jails that offer medication-assisted treatment are barriers. -High insurance deductibles, inability to qualify for Medicaid, and/or lack of available, effective treatment programs are the most significant barriers.

-High insurance deductibles, inability to qualify for Medicaid, and/or lack of available, effective treatment programs are the most significant barriers.

Part A - Addiction: A Multifaceted Problem Addiction is a complex condition that affects both the physical and the psychological aspects of health. According to the American Psychiatric Association, addiction is a mental disorder. Addiction is defined as a continued involvement with a substance or activity despite ongoing negative consequences. An addiction involves a substance or activity that has the potential to produce positive mood changes or euphoria over time. With continued use, however, the person becomes dependent on the substance to function normally despite knowing the harm that it is causes him or herself and others. The addiction becomes a cycle of behavior that is difficult to break, and this behavior is the hallmark of the condition. Match the words in the left column to the appropriate blanks in the sentences about addiction on the right.

1. One of the aspects of addiction is *physiological* *dependence* or the state of the brain and body processes that occurs with regular addictive behavior and results in physical withdrawal symptoms when the addictive substance is withdrawn. 2. As the addict uses the substance, the body develops *tolerance*, and the addict must consume more of the substance to achieve the same effect. 3. If the addict abruptly stops taking the addictive substance, the body and brain can rebel causing *withdrawal* or negative physical and mental/psychological symptoms. 4. In addition to the physical symptoms, there is also *psychological* *dependence*; withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, irritability, or cravings. 5. This cycle of addiction is characterized by four common symptoms. The first is *compulsion*, which is the overwhelming need to obtain and use the substance. 6. Included in this first part of the cycle is *obsession* or an excessive preoccupation with the addictive substance to the detriment of positive behavior and in spite of negative consequences. 7. The second part of the cycle is *loss* *of* *control* or the inability to distinguish between healthy and damaging behavior. 8. The third step in the cycle is the tolerance of *negative* *consequences*. Examples of these are physical damage, legal trouble, financial problems, academic failure, and family dissolution. 9. The fourth and last step is *denial* or the inability to perceive that a certain behavior is self-destructive.

Part D - Illicit Drugs Illegal drug use is an expensive societal problem in dollars and lives. Approximately 24 million Americans ages 12 and older currently are using illegal drugs. Marijuana is the most common illegal drug in states where its use has not been legalized in any form, followed by prescription drugs that are not being used for the reasons the physician intended or are not being taken in the recommended dosages as indicated by the prescription. Marijuana and other illegal drugs fall into specific classes with unique negative health effects, but all have the same potential to lead to serious addiction. Match the words in the left column to the appropriate blanks in the sentences on the right.

1. *Meth* is a highly addictive stimulant with dental damage as a telltale sign of its use; it causes users to experience serious side effects, including paranoia, and is very resistant to treatment and recovery. 2. *Molly* is used to heighten social experiences and results in feelings of warmth and friendliness, but when mixed with alcohol places users at risk for severe dehydration and increased core temperature, which may lead to death. 3. Abuse of prescription pain killers is one of the gateways to *smack* since it is readily available and cheaper than the prescription drugs. It is responsible for many of the drug overdose deaths. 4. Opioids are common in our society and some say are overprescribed for many sorts of pain conditions; *Oxy* is the street name for one type of prescription opioid that causes euphoria, dreaminess, and lack of coordination. 5. Although *pot* is considered relatively harmless by the uninformed, it can be addictive and increase the risk of lung cancer. 6. Addictive stimulants, such as *crank*, increase alertness and improve mood, but are also associated with erratic and violent behavior. 7. Many times *benzos* are used by those addicted to stimulants to come down from the intense high of amphetamines or meth since they are essentially tranquilizers.