Addiction

1. Addiction Mr. Meehan 10th grade

2. Questions of the Day

3. What’s an addiction? • Addiction - Involves a physiological and psychological dependence on a drug. • PsychologicalDependence- when a person believes a drug is needed in order to feel good or to function normally. • PhysiologicalDependence- when the body develops a chemical need for a drug.

4. Vocabulary • Substance Abuse - any unnecessary or improper use of chemical substances for nonmedical purposes. It includes overuse or multiple use of a drug. • Tolerance - needing more and more of a drug to get the same effects. • Withdrawal - when a person stops using a drug in which there is a physiological dependency. Symptoms include nervousness, insomnia, nausea, headaches, vomiting, chills, cramps, and even death • Synergistic Effect - the effect resulting from taking a drug in conjunction with one or more medicines or other drugs, including alcohol

5. Causes/Risk Factors • No single factor can predict whether or not a person will become addicted to drugs - any drugs. • HOWEVER, the more risk factors an individual has, the greater the chance that taking drugs will lead to addiction. For example, • Family history of drug abuse • Environment • Peers, stress, parental involvement • Experiment at an early age Anyone can become addicted.

6. Drugs in the Brain • Most drugs target our brains reward system by flooding the circuit with dopamine. • This overstimulation produces a euphoria effect sought by people who abuse drugs.

7. Stages of Chemical Dependency • Stage 1 (Experimentation) • Stage 2 (Social Use/Use for Effect) • Stage 3 (Abuse/Preoccupation with Effect) • Stage 4 (Substances used to feel normal/Chronic Chemical Dependency) • The road to addiction is different for every person. • Not everyone in the first two stages will develop a drug addiction • Individuals in the third stage of drug abuse are very likely to progress into full-blown addicts.

8. Stage 1 - Experimentation • No adverse behavioral effects may be detected; substances has not yet interfered with lifestyle • Uses at parties, on the weekends, and/or under peer pressure • Easy to get drunk or high due to a lack of tolerance for the substance • User controls use; regulates quantity and frequency • The user learns he/she can produce a ‘good feeling’ by using substance and that substances provide euphoria every time, he/she trusts the effects

9. Stage 2 – Social Use/use for effects • Tolerance begins to develop • Individual suffers slight problems such as hangovers • Individuals develops self-imposed rules about use • The user starts actively seeking the “good feeling” produced by the substances by planned use of drugs/alcohol. Planned involves buying substances

10. Stage 3 – Abuse (Chemical Dependent) • Experiences a cost increase due to increased/high tolerance • Increase in frequency of substances use; solitary use occurs • Loss of control occurs; using more than planned • Lifestyle begins to change; facilitates use • Rationalization and projection becomes more frequent • Substance is used to cope with feelings such as anger, guilt, fear, and/or anxiety • Denial grows; individual violates his/her value system which contributes to emotional distress

11. Stage 4 – Substances Used to Feel Normal • Individual feels very alone; isolated • May experience a loss of desire to live; individual experiences suicidal thoughts; attempts • Individual experiences physical problems • Desire to use the substance become most important • Uses substance to feel normal and avoid pain rather than for achieving euphoria • Experiences paranoid thinking and fear of insanity • Blackouts are long and frequent • Individual experiences a complete loss of control; arrest, thefts, prostitution

12. Partner Activity • Complete worksheet with a partner. • Identify which stage of chemical dependency each scenario

13. What to Do when someone is addicted to drugs/alcohol? • Rehabilitation Facilities