Addiction lecture notes and slides
Week 1
Lecture 1: Introduction
What is addiction?
The psychology behind addiction has more similarities that differences
- Example: smoking cigarettes and taking heroin have similar mechanisms
Why is it important to study addiction?
- 4 of the main reasons for death worldwide are addiction (smoking, alcohol, drugs)
- Opioid crisis in USA: average 115 opioid deaths each day → largest cause of death in
men under 30
- Over 3 million annual deaths due to alcohol and drug use (majorly men)
- Americans lose 119 billion through gambling each year
- Addiction is one of the 3 most common mental disorders in Europe
Lifetime prevalence Netherlands (DSM-V):
- Any mood disorders - 20.2
- Any anxiety disorders - 19.6
- Any SUD - 19.1% (1 in 5)
- Not all in treatment
Gender differences in prevalence: 80% of the population in treatment are men
Societal relevance of SU:
- Impact on health: health care, morbidity, mortality
- Relationships with crime: 50% of crimes are substance related
- Impact on public safety: driving, chemical waste
- Impact on work-related productivity
Is it a real disorder?
Some believe people with substance abuse disorders just have weak will, researchers say it is a
brain disease
- Medical approach (brain scans) advances the research
It is regarded by most psychologists and psychiatrists as one of the most prevalent disorders
(DSM-V)
DSM-V: must display at least 2 of the 11 symptoms within 12 months:
1. Taking the substance in large amounts or for longer than meant to
2. Wanting to cut down or stop, but not managing to
3. Spending a lot of time getting, using or recovering from use
, 4. Craving to use the substance
5. Not managing to do what you should at work, home or school, because of the SU
6. Continuing to use, even when it causes problems in relationships
7. Giving up important social, occupational or recreational activities because of SU
8. Using substances again and again, even when it puts you in danger (drunk
driving)
9. Continuing to use, even when you have a physical or psychological problem that
could have been caused or made worse by the substance
10.Needing more of the substance to get the effect you want (tolerance)
11.Development of withdrawal symptoms, which can be relieved by taking more
Not everyone will get addicted: most people don’t develop SU disorder
Ever used SU disorder
Cigarettes 76% 32%
Heroin 2% 23%
Cocaine 16% 17%
Alcohol 92% 15%
Amphetamines 15% 11%
Cannabis 46% 9%
Of the people who used it at least once
Addiction and SU cannot be understood apart from the social and historical context
- Prohibition of alcohol
- Legalization of cannabis
- Cocaine and amphetamine stocks in the Netherlands
Types of substances:
- Tobacco (cigarettes)
- Stimulants (cocaine, amphetamines, ecstasy)
- Depressants (alcohol, benzodiazepines)
- Opioids (heroin, prescription drugs)
- Hallucinogens (LSD, cannabis, ketamine)
Neurotransmitters: about 80 chemical substances that provide communication between cells
Synapses
- Drugs release more dopamine in the synapse and release more dopamine in the brain
- The neurotransmitters are “cleaned”
- Drugs inhibit the reuptake (more signal)
,Agonist: drugs that mimic the same response as the endogenous system
- Cocaine is a dopamine agonist because is stimulates the release of dopamine
- MDMA is a serotonin agonist because it increases its release and inhibits its
reuptake
Antagonists: bind to the same receptor sites as the neurotransmitter but they block the
response instead of initiating it
Alcohol is really complex in the brain (many neurotransmitters involved):
- GABA agonist
- NMDA antagonist
- Opioid agonist
- Serotonin agonist
Drugs and reputation
Risks: law vs public view
- Alcohol associated with good times
,
Week 1
Lecture 1: Introduction
What is addiction?
The psychology behind addiction has more similarities that differences
- Example: smoking cigarettes and taking heroin have similar mechanisms
Why is it important to study addiction?
- 4 of the main reasons for death worldwide are addiction (smoking, alcohol, drugs)
- Opioid crisis in USA: average 115 opioid deaths each day → largest cause of death in
men under 30
- Over 3 million annual deaths due to alcohol and drug use (majorly men)
- Americans lose 119 billion through gambling each year
- Addiction is one of the 3 most common mental disorders in Europe
Lifetime prevalence Netherlands (DSM-V):
- Any mood disorders - 20.2
- Any anxiety disorders - 19.6
- Any SUD - 19.1% (1 in 5)
- Not all in treatment
Gender differences in prevalence: 80% of the population in treatment are men
Societal relevance of SU:
- Impact on health: health care, morbidity, mortality
- Relationships with crime: 50% of crimes are substance related
- Impact on public safety: driving, chemical waste
- Impact on work-related productivity
Is it a real disorder?
Some believe people with substance abuse disorders just have weak will, researchers say it is a
brain disease
- Medical approach (brain scans) advances the research
It is regarded by most psychologists and psychiatrists as one of the most prevalent disorders
(DSM-V)
DSM-V: must display at least 2 of the 11 symptoms within 12 months:
1. Taking the substance in large amounts or for longer than meant to
2. Wanting to cut down or stop, but not managing to
3. Spending a lot of time getting, using or recovering from use
, 4. Craving to use the substance
5. Not managing to do what you should at work, home or school, because of the SU
6. Continuing to use, even when it causes problems in relationships
7. Giving up important social, occupational or recreational activities because of SU
8. Using substances again and again, even when it puts you in danger (drunk
driving)
9. Continuing to use, even when you have a physical or psychological problem that
could have been caused or made worse by the substance
10.Needing more of the substance to get the effect you want (tolerance)
11.Development of withdrawal symptoms, which can be relieved by taking more
Not everyone will get addicted: most people don’t develop SU disorder
Ever used SU disorder
Cigarettes 76% 32%
Heroin 2% 23%
Cocaine 16% 17%
Alcohol 92% 15%
Amphetamines 15% 11%
Cannabis 46% 9%
Of the people who used it at least once
Addiction and SU cannot be understood apart from the social and historical context
- Prohibition of alcohol
- Legalization of cannabis
- Cocaine and amphetamine stocks in the Netherlands
Types of substances:
- Tobacco (cigarettes)
- Stimulants (cocaine, amphetamines, ecstasy)
- Depressants (alcohol, benzodiazepines)
- Opioids (heroin, prescription drugs)
- Hallucinogens (LSD, cannabis, ketamine)
Neurotransmitters: about 80 chemical substances that provide communication between cells
Synapses
- Drugs release more dopamine in the synapse and release more dopamine in the brain
- The neurotransmitters are “cleaned”
- Drugs inhibit the reuptake (more signal)
,Agonist: drugs that mimic the same response as the endogenous system
- Cocaine is a dopamine agonist because is stimulates the release of dopamine
- MDMA is a serotonin agonist because it increases its release and inhibits its
reuptake
Antagonists: bind to the same receptor sites as the neurotransmitter but they block the
response instead of initiating it
Alcohol is really complex in the brain (many neurotransmitters involved):
- GABA agonist
- NMDA antagonist
- Opioid agonist
- Serotonin agonist
Drugs and reputation
Risks: law vs public view
- Alcohol associated with good times
,
