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ADDICTION - Coggle Diagram
ADDICTION
PART III: DRUGS
- Why do people take drugs?
People take drugs to forget worries, due to peer pressure, for fun, or to experience altered perceptions and increased energy.
- What main categories of drugs can we distinguish according to their effect? Give examples.
Stimulants: Increase brain activity (e.g., cocaine, ecstasy).
Depressants: Slow down brain activity (e.g., alcohol, tranquilizers).
Hallucinogens: Distort perception (e.g., LSD, magic mushrooms).
Analgesics: Painkillers (e.g., heroin).
Anabolic steroids: Promote muscle growth (e.g., anabolic steroids).
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1.What is a "dependency"/an "addiction"?
A disease involving permanent changes in the brain due to repeated exposure to alcohol or addicting drugs, resulting in a psychological and sometimes physical need to use these substances despite negative consequences
- What are the typical symptoms of a dependency?
Typical symptoms include loss of control over use, increased tolerance, preoccupation with the substance, continued use despite negative consequences, and distorted thinking (e.g., denial).
- What types of dependencies can we distinguish?
Dependencies can be categorized into substance (e.g., alcohol, drugs) and non-substance (e.g., gambling, internet) addictions
- Explain the term "chemical/substance dependency".
Chemical/substance dependency refers to a primary, chronic, and progressive disease characterized by a psychological and sometimes physical need to use alcohol or drugs, which persists despite negative consequences.
- What types of substance dependency do you know?
Types include alcohol dependency, drug dependency (e.g., narcotics, stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens).
- What does the word "craving" or "compulsion" mean?
Craving or compulsion refers to the brain's overwhelming desire to obtain the addicting substance to restore balance, often experienced as an obsessive pressure to use the substance.
- Explain what it means that chemical dependency is a primary, chronic and progressive disease.
Primary: Separate from other medical conditions, Chronic: Lasts for life and can't be cured, only treated.
Progressive: Worsens over time without intervention.
- Describe the progression of dependency from an early to an end stage.
In the early stage, use is for euphoria or stress relief, tolerance develops, and control over use diminishes. In the end stage, severe physical, psychological, and behavioral problems occur, often leading to premature death.
- Why do we talk of chemical dependency as a "disease"?
Chemical dependency is considered a disease because it causes permanent changes in brain chemistry, leading to a loss of control over substance use, similar to other chronic medical conditions.
- Is chemical dependency treatable/curable? How and in what ways?
Treatable, not curable. Treatment involves achieving and maintaining abstinence, often through medical detoxification, therapy, and participation in self-help programs like AA or NA.
- How does the behaviour of a person developing a dependency change?
Behavior changes include increased use, denial, preoccupation with the substance, and a decrease in social and personal functioning.
- How would you explain the term "tolerance"?
Tolerance is when the body becomes accustomed to the substance, requiring larger amounts to achieve the same effect.
- What is the so-called "withdrawal syndrome"?
Withdrawal syndrome refers to the physical and psychological symptoms that occur when a person stops using a substance they are dependent on.
- What are the possible consequences of a dependency?
Consequences include health issues, social problems, legal issues, and potentially premature death due to associated health problems or accidents.