Addiction & Alcoholism

I. Addiction and its Two Key Forms

A. Addiction: a condition in which an individual requires the use of a drug or the participation in an activity in order to function without physical or psychological reactions to its absence. Often the condition will interfere with normal everyday functioning as it worsens.

B. Process Addiction: an addiction to an activity or process, such as eating, spending money, gambling, working, playing video games, sexual activities, etc.

C. Substance Addiction: an addiction to a drug, such as depressants, stimulants, narcotics, hallucinogens, etc.

D. Enabling: when family, friends, and associates promote addiction in another individual or simply allow an addict to continue their addiction.

II. Chronic Drug Effects

A. Withdrawal: an unpleasant effect, the opposite of how a drug made the user feel initially.

B. Tolerance: a decrease in effect develops as the user continues to take the drug.

C. Physical Dependence: when the user feels compelled to use a drug chiefly to reduce the unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

D. Psychological Dependence: a craving to use a drug notmotivated by the physical symptoms of withdrawal.

III. Alcohol: a depressant found in liquor, wine and beer.

A. Emotional and Behavioral Characteristics of Intoxicated Individuals

IV. Alcoholism: the addiction to or dependency upon drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.

A. Denial: refusal to acknowledge a problem or believe any information that causes anxiety.

B. Delirium Tremens: symptoms associated with the abrupt discontinuation of alcohol consumption among alcoholics.

1) muscle convulsions (shaky hands)2) confusion3) diarrhea4) insomnia5) disorientation6) extreme agitation7) heart arrhythmias8) hallucinations (often of insects, snakes, or rats)

C. Risk Factors for Alcoholism…1) new found freedoms in college2) stress in life3) family history (genetics & environment)4) addictive personality5) mental illness6) cultural influences

D. Long Term Medical Consequences of Alcoholism

1) Alcoholic Liver Disease: arises from the excessive ingestion of alcohol. When excessive alcohol is consumed chronically, it can eventually result in liver scarring or what is known as cirrhosis or end-stage alcoholic liver disease.

2) Korsakoff’s Syndrome: a form of dementia leading to memory loss that results from a deficiency of vitamin B1, typically brought on by chronic alcoholism.

1) Detoxification: a program of supervised recoveryprovided in a hospital setting.

2) Alcoholics Anonymous (AA): a self-help groupcomprised of people who abstain from alcohol use and offerhelp and support to each other.

4) Antabuse: a pill alcoholics can take daily that causesthem to become physically ill when they drink alcohol.

3) Controlled Drinking: reducing consumption of alcoholfrom dependent/abusive levels to moderate levels.

E. Treatment for Alcoholism

5) Benzodiazepines: sedatives that operate similarly toalcohol by enhancing the effectiveness of GABA(a neurotransmitter) transmission in the central nervoussystem.