Addiction

Heroin

Specification – Page 48

1. b) DefineDefine and use psychological terminology appropriately and accurately including the terms:

i substance misusesubstance misuseii tolerancetoleranceiii physical dependencephysical dependenceiv psychological dependencepsychological dependencev withdrawal withdrawal

Specification – Page 49

3. c) Describe, with reference to heroin heroin and one other drug from alcohol, cocaine, ecstasy, marijuana, smoking/nicotine:

i mode of action (e.g. at the synapse)ii effectsiii tolerancetolerance iv physical and/or psychological physical and/or psychological dependenciesdependenciesv withdrawalwithdrawal

What is Addiction?

Doctors call a drug addictive if it makes you dependent on the drug.

Unpleasant withdrawal symptoms appear unless you take the drug.

Addictive drugs also make you crave them - you have an overwhelming urge to continue taking the drug, even after withdrawal symptoms have disappeared.

Tolerance

MoreMore of the drug is needed to obtain the feelings that were produced at first.

A stage may be reached where nono amount of the drug will achieve the resulting high.

Simply take the drug to delaydelay withdrawal symptoms.

Withdrawal

Unpleasant symptoms Unpleasant symptoms occur when the drug is not taken, such as sickness and depression.

Can get rid of the withdrawal symptoms by takingtaking the drug again.

This leads to a cycle cycle of drug taking where users may try to stop but then have to take it again to avoid withdrawal symptoms.

What is the difference between

biological/physiologicabiological/physiologicall addiction and psychologicalpsychological

addiction?

Biological Addiction

The body becomes dependantdependant on the drug.

Without it, severe withdrawal symptomswithdrawal symptoms occur such as pain or sickness.

Body becomes used to the drug and causes a physicalphysical reaction if the don’t receive it.

Body develops a tolerancetolerance to the drug – require more of it to have an effect.

Psychological Addiction

Conscious desiredesire to obtain drug out of a perceived needperceived need for its affect.

User might say it makes them “feel good” or “calm down”.

May use drug to escapeescape from real-life.

Think it is the only way they can copecope.

Matching Task

You need to know the definitionsdefinitions of these key key

termsterms

Addiction What is the difference between

drug abuse and drug addiction?

When does drug abuse become addiction?

Addiction

Drug abuse is initially a voluntary behaviour

Continuum of drug abuse and drug addiction

Can reach addiction at different points depending on the individual

No use Drug Abuse Drug Addiction

Abuse is voluntary; addiction is the continued compulsive

drug use despite adverse health or social consequences.

Heroin

Tolerance

Physical and/or psychological dependencies

Withdrawal

Heroin

Tolerance- Reward circuit becomes highly activatedactivated- Over-production Over-production of dopamine- The body has to adaptadapt to the heroin – try and

achieve homeostasishomeostasis (balance)- ReducesReduces the amount of dopamine produced- More enzymesenzymes are produced to break it downbreak it down- StiflesStifles the brain's reward circuit through

inhibition- the same-old dose of drug is less less rewardingrewarding

Heroin

Tolerance- Heroin rapidlyrapidly develops tolerance- Users very quickly need increasingincreasing

amounts of it to get the “high”- Eventually just take heroin to delaydelay

unpleasant withdrawal symptoms

Heroin Physical Dependence- Linked to tolerancetolerance – need increasing

amounts to reach high so become physically dependent.

- Body is used to functioning with heroin – so needs it for normal functioningnormal functioning.

- E.g. Brain of heroin users produce less endorphinsendorphins so addicts will rely on heroin for pleasure and reduction of pain.

Heroin

Psychological Dependence - Heroin becomes a great importance great importance in their

life.- Important for person’s mental state.mental state.- Often taken by people with living

difficulties, no self-esteem no self-esteem and employment problems

- Heroin gives users a feeling of pleasurepleasure and dulls the senses dulls the senses – don’t despair as much.

Heroin Withdrawal- Usually start within 12 hours 12 hours of

last fix.- Severity of withdrawal is

dependentdependent on the level of addiction

- Starts with agitation agitation and restlessnessrestlessness

Heroin

Withdrawal- After a day, become more agitatedagitated and

restlessrestless- Then “skin crawlskin crawl” – itchy blood- CrampsCramps and vomitingvomiting- DiarrhoeaDiarrhoea and sweatingsweating- Twitching Twitching and shakingshaking- Muscle ache Muscle ache and pain pain

Heroin

Withdrawal- Usually go after about a

weekweek.- Sudden withdrawal after

sustained use can cause deathdeath.

Diary of Heroin Addiction

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7thZbHTvZIQ

Task

In your case studies, try to pick out signs for tolerancetolerance, withdrawalwithdrawal and physicalphysical and psychological psychological dependencydependency

Task

Have a go at the past paper questions on heroin addiction

Some startling statistics… Heroin overdoses have caused

more deaths than traffic accidents in the past several years

The use of Heroin has quadrupled in the last 15 years

1.2 million people in the UK use Heroin

300,000 children live with parents who have serious heroin addiction