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Health Chapter 7

Terms in this set (27)

Psychoactive Drugs
A drug the can alter a person's consciousness or experience
Intoxication
The state of being mentally affected by a chemical (literally, a state of being poisoned)
Drug
Any chemical other than food intended to affect the structure or function of the body
Addiction
Psychological or physical dependence on a substance or behavior, characterized by a compulsive desire and increasing need for the substance or behavior, and by harm to the individual and/or society
Addictive Behavior
Any habit that has gotten out of control, resulting in a negative effect on one's health
Tolerance
A physical state in which the body adapts to a drug so that the initial dose no longer produces the original emotional or psychological effects
General Characteristics Associated with Addiction
-substitute for healthier coping strategies
-lack ability to manage their lives
-trouble dealing with stress and painful emotions
-genetic predisposition to addiction based on variation in brain chemistry
-problems with impulse control and self regulation
-tend to be risk takers
Reinforcement
The behavior produces a pleasurable state or relieves a negative one
Compulsion or Craving
The individual is compelled to engage in the behavior
Loss of Control
The individual cannot block the impulse to do it
Escalation
The individual devotes increasing resources to the behavior
Negative Consequences
The behavior continues despite serous negative consequences
Withdrawal
Physical and psychological symptoms that follow the interrupted use of a drug on which a user is physically dependent; symptoms may be mild or life-threatening
Physical Dependence
The result of physiological adaptation that occurs in response to the frequent presence of a drug; typically associated with tolerance and withdrawal
Abuse
Involves at least one of the following: failure to fulfill major responsibilities; use resulting in physically hazardous situations; legal problems related to drug use; or persistent social or interpersonal problems
Substance Dependence
A person may abuse a substance even if he or she is not physically dependent on it
-When an individual experiences a cluster of three or more of the following seven symptoms during a 12-month period. The first two criteria are associated with physical dependence; the final five are associated with compulsive use.
a. Developing tolerance to the substance
1) in a person with tolerance, higher doses of the substance are required to achieve intoxication; continuing to use the same amount produces a markedly diminished effect.
2) Drugs vary in the degree to which they produce tolerance.
b. Experiencing a withdrawal syndrome in response to a drop in the concentration of a drug within the body.
1) Withdrawal symptoms can be physical and/ or cognitive
2) Symptoms are different for different drugs; some drugs have no significant withdrawal symptoms.
c. taking the substance in larger amounts over a longer period than was originally intended.
d. expressing a persistent desire to cut down or regulate substance use
e. spending a great deal of time obtaining the substance, using the substance, or recovering from its effects
f. giving up or reducing important social, school, work, or recreational activities because of substance use
g. continuing to use the substance in spite of recognizing that substance use is contributing to a psychological or physical problem
Risk Factors for Drug Abuse
Special risk factors for trying illegal drugs are chiefly socioeconomic, not racial or ethnic. These include:
a. being young- people who start using drugs when they're young have a greater risk of dependence and health consequences
b. being male- males are twice as likely as females to abuse illicit drugs
c. troubled adolescent- teens are more likely to try drugs if they have poor self-image or self-control, use tobacco, or suffer from certain mental or emotional problems
d. thrill-seeker- a sense of invincibility is a factor in drug experimentation
e. peer group- young people who are uninterested in school and earn poor grades are more likely to try drugs.
f. dysfunctional family- chaotic home life or parental abuse increases the risk of drug use. Risk is also higher fro children from single-parent families or whose parents did not finish high school
g. being poor- young people who live in disadvantaged areas are more likely to be around drugs at a young age
h. dating young- adolescent girls who date boys 2 or more years older than themselves are more likely to use drugs
Risk Factors other than Addiction
Reasons for drug use depend on both the user and the drug
1. young people are drawn to drugs by the allure of the exciting and illegal.
a. they are curious, rebellious, or vulnerable to peer pressure
b. they need to appear daring and to be part of the group
c. they imitate adult models
2. most people try drugs to experiment but do not continue use
3. many users are motivated by a desire to escape boredom, anxiety, depression, feelings or worthlessness, or other symptoms of psychological problems
4. widespread reliance on both illegal and prescription drugs may partly reflect society's practice of looking for a drug solution to every problem
5. reasons fro using drugs are magnified inner cities, where problems are more devastating and buying and selling of drugs becomes an economic opportunity
Neurotransmitter
risk factors for substance dependence seem to be a combination of physical, psychological, and social factors
1) physical risk factors include genetic factors, prenatal exposure to drugs, and chronic pain
2) psychological risk factors include difficulty in controlling impulses; need for excitement, stimulation, and immediate gratification; feelings of rejection, hostility, anxiety, or depression; and a need to blot out emotional pain. Existing mental illness is a very significant risk factor
3. social risk factors include drug abuse in the family; belonging to a peer group that encourages abuse; and poverty. health-care professionals also have higher risk because they have easy access to drugs.
Pharmacological Properties
There are number of other serous potential consequences of drug use besides dependence
1) each year, nearly 1.4 million emergency room visits are related to drug misuse or abuse
2) people under the influence of drugs are more likely to be injured from a variety of causes, including falls, drowning, and automobile crashes; to engage in unsafe sex, increasing risk of STDs and unintended pregnancy; and to be involved in incidents of aggression and violence, including sexual assault.
3) side effects can range from nausea and constipation to paranoia, depression, heart failure, and the risk of fatal overdose
4) as there is no quality control in the illegal drug market, the composition, dosage, and toxicity of street drugs is highly variable
5) many injection drug users share or reuse needles, syringes, and other injection equipment, which can easily become contaminated with user's blood. blood can carry the HIV virus and the hepatitis C virus
a. syringe exchange programs (SEPs)-- in which injection drug users turn in a used syringe and get back a new one free-- have been advocated to help slow the spread of HIV and reduce rates and cost of other health problems associated with injection drug use
b. opponents of SEPs argue that supplying addicts with syringes give them the message that illegal drug use is acceptable
6) since psychoactive drugs are illegal, using them can result in large fines and/or imprisonment
Dose- Response Function
A brain chemical that transmits nerve impulses
Time-Action Function
the overall effects of a drug on a person's behavior, psychology, and chemistry
Drug Use History
the relationship between the amount of a drug taken and the intensity and type of the resulting effect
Method of Use (route of administration)
influences the effects of, and response to, a drug, meaning that users may have to refrain from using a drug for a while before the same dosage will exert its original effects
Use Factors
affects the strength of the response. ingestion, inhalation, injection, or absorption through the skin or tissue lining, body mass, general health, genetic factors, concurrent use of other chemicals, and pregnancy.
1. any use of drugs during pregnancy has an adverse effect on the fetus.
2. response can be affected by user expectations, the psychological set; psychological and social factors are especially important when small doses are given. the placebo effect occurs when a person responds to an inert substance as if it were an active drug.
a. social factors include the setting, that is, the physical and social environment surrounding the drug use
1. use at home might have effects different from use at a party or in a laboratory setting
2. setting and user's expectations can have greater effects than the drug itself.
Plaebo Effect
a response to an inert or innocuous substance given in place of an active drug
High
the subjectively pleasing effects of a drug, usually felt quite soon after the drug is taken
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