Substance Abuse Final

occurs when tissue dependence has developed after chronic use and the body tries to return to normal too quickly, objective physical signs that are a direct result of the tissue dependence and are directly observable upon cessation of drug use by an addict. These include seizures, goose bumps, vomiting, diarrhea, and tremors.

Results either from addict manipulation (hence purposive, or “with purpose”) or from a psychic conversion reaction from the expectation of the withdrawal process. Psychic conversion is an emotional expectation of physical effects that have no biological explanation.

· (environmental triggers and cues) A major danger to maintaining recovery and preventing a drug overdose during relapse. This is a flashback or recurrence of the addiction withdrawal symptoms; triggers heavy craving, and often causes recovering addicts to slip

The persistence of subtle yet significant emotional and physical problems that can last for thee to six months into recovery. i.e. unclear thinking and cognitive impairment, memory problems, emotional overreaction, sleep disturbances, motor coordination/dizziness problems, and difficulty managing stress; also drug cravings

The metabolic transformation of drugs that enter the bloodstream to metabolites

Drugs are metabolized principally by the liver and eliminated through the kidneys, sweat glands, and lungs. No matter how a drug enters the circulatory system, it is eventually distributed by the bloodstream to the rest of the body. The actual amount of drug that reaches the brain depends, among other things, on the bioavailablility of the drug, which is defined as the degree to which a drug becomes available to the target tissue after administration. After the drug has had its effect, it is eliminated form the body through metabolism or excretion. Metabolism is the body’s mechanism for processing, using, and inactivating a foreign substance that has been taken into the body. Excretion is the process of eliminating those foreign substances and their metabolites from the body

Any substance that directly alters the normal functioning of the central nervous system when it is injected, ingested, smoked, snorted, or absorbed into the blood. Drugs can activate a genetic/environmental susceptibility to drug abuse and addiction. They cause alterations in brain chemistry, structure, and function, which can intensify drug-using behavior

Any substance that directly alters the normal functioning of the central nervous system when it is injected, ingested, smoked, snorted, or absorbed into the blood. Drugs can activate a genetic/environmental susceptibility to drug abuse and addiction. They cause alterations in brain chemistry, structure, and function, which can intensify drug-using behavior

Nerve cells become less sensitive to the effects of the drug and even produce an antidote or antagonist to it. With opioids the brain will generate more opioid receptor sites, down-regulate them, and produce its own antagonist, cholecystokinin.

The brain learns to compensate for the effects of the drug by using parts of the brain not affected. A drunken person can make himself appear sober when confronted by police but might be staggering again a few minutes later

Initially, one becomes less sensitive to the drug (regular tolerance); but as it destroys certain tissues and/or as one grows older, the trend is reversed and the user becomes more sensitive and therefore less able to handle even moderate amounts. This is particularly true in alcholics when, as the liver is destroyed, it loses the ability to metabolize the drug. An alcoholic with cirrhosis of the liver can stay drunk all day long on a pint of wine because the raw alcohol passes through the body repeatedly, unchanged.

In these cases the brain and the body begin to adapt almost instantly to the toxic effects of the drug. With tobacco, for example, tolerance and adaptation begin with the first puff. Somone who tries suicide with barbiturates can develop an acute tolerance and survive the attempt, with twice the lethal dose in their system, even if they’ve never taken barbiturates before.

The body develops tolerance to mental and physical effects at different rates. With opiates and depressants, the does needed to achieve an emotional high comes closer to the lethal physical dose of that drug. For example, a barbiturate induces sleep and causes slight euphoria on the first day it is taken. Within a few months, it still induces sleep but no longer causes euphoria, so the user needs five pills to feel good. The user has not developed tolerance to the respiratory depression effects, however, so that effect is more severe and can be potentially lethal.

Also kindling; the person becomes more sensitive to the effects of the drug as the brain chemistry changes. Initially, a marijuana or cocaine user after months of getting a minimal effect from the drug will suddenly get an intense reaction. A cocaine or meth addict becomes more sensitive to the toxic effects after continued use, thus developing a greater risk of heart attack or stroke.

As a person develops tolerance to one drug, he develops tolerance to other drugs as well. A heroin addict will also be tolerant to doses of morphine, codeine, or methadone even if he has never taken other opioids, because the same biologic mechanisms that establish tolerance to one opioid will be in place to proved tolerance to others as well. Someone tolerant to the effects of alprazolam (Xanax) will also have a tolerance to the effects of other benzodiazepine sedatives and even alcohol.