Drug Intervention and Education Dr. Kevin Raper Compass Point Counseling
Addiction: Causes, Progression, and Consequences.
Addiction and the Brain What is Addiction? The term addiction is defined by the American Society of Addiction Medicine as a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences to the addicted individual and to those around him or her. Substance abuse is defined as abusing a drug or other item that is the focus of an addiction such as alcohol or marijuana.
Addiction and the Brain Addictions can occur in a variety ways at any time during a person s life. They can include things such as caffeine, tobacco, illegal narcotics, prescribed medication, and other substances. Addictions are not specific to age, gender, cultures, or ethnicity. They can develop over time, or immediately depending on a person s own will power or self control.
Addiction and the Brain Addiction can occur in the single use of a substance depending a person s own willpower and self control.
Addiction and the Brain People who have high stress levels are at a higher risk of becoming addicted to a mind altering substance. These substances include things such as alcohol, marijuana, and hallucinogens. People who have high stress levels and are addicted to a substance are often addicted because they use the substance as a type of release or escape from stressful situations. They then become addicted to the escape or release that they believe they are getting from the drug. It is possible to have an addiction relapse at any time regardless of being treated for addiction.
Addiction and the Brain Brain function loss through substance abuse and addiction can be permanent. Once you have damaged the brain through the use of a hallucinogenic drug such as ecstasy, cocaine, or heroine, the damage will not always fix itself. This type of damage can cause delayed thinking responses, slowed reactions, memory loss, and loss of coordination. Think of someone that you may know in the school or community that is a frequent drug user. Do they appear to be slower than they used to be? Do they act different? Do they have a hard time remembering things that they used to know?
Stages of Addiction There are four specific stages of addiction 1. Experimental Stage The experimental stage is exactly how it sounds. A person is trying something for the first time in order to experience or experiment with a drug that they have seen or heard of. 2. Social/Recreational Stage This state of addiction is similar to experimental in the sense that many people in this stage only use drugs when they are in social situations where the drug is present. For example, drinking and smoking marijuana while at a party or with a certain peer group.
Stages of Addiction 3. Habitual or Problem Stage This stage of addiction is present when a person uses a drug or substance regularly regardless of who they are with or where they are. This is a precursor to dependence as the person is still able to stop or reduce the substance without significant withdrawals. 4. Dependence or Chronic Stage This stage of addiction is the most severe due to the continued drug use despite negative consequences or effects. The Dependent or Chronic stage of addiction requires significant intervention in order to help the person overcome and treat the addictive behavior and need for the drug or drugs.
Signs of Addiction Continued drug use despite negative consequences Repeated legal problems related to addiction Health problems related to addiction Increased tolerance to a substance and withdrawal symptoms when a person stops or reduces the use of the substance.
Addiction and the Brain The following sections will present and discuss how addiction is present in a variety of settings. The following sections will specifically discuss the effects of addiction in regards to medication, marijuana, and alcohol. This course will conclude with a list of references and resources that can assist in seeking further information regarding addiction and treatment resources.
Medication Education The following section will discuss prescription medication abuse.
Medication Education It is possible to become addicted to a medication that is prescribed to you. People can become dependent on the medication itself even though it was prescribed for a specific problem such as pain relief. Pain killers are the most commonly abused prescription medication. This is often due to the numbing and relaxing effects that pain killers have on the mind and body.
Medication Education The common age range for someone addicted to prescription medication is 18-25. This is often due to the availability of medication in the home, school, and community settings. Many people who have become addicted or dependent on a medication report that the first began abusing it recreationally in a teenage social setting such as a party or at school. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) website states that 12-17 year old children who are experimenting with or abusing medication in some form abuse prescription drugs more than ecstasy, heroine, and meth combined.
Medication Education Damage to the brain and body from prescription drug abuse is often permanent. This is often due to the amount and type of damage caused by the drug itself. For example, many types of pain inhibitors or muscle relaxers may cause permanent damage to neuro receptors in the brain if they are overloaded with too much of a medication. This could cause problems with pain tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, and other muscular disorders.
Medication Education Stimulants, such as Adderall and other ADHD medications can cause increased brain activity, blood pressure, and heart rate when abused. Stimulant users may experience strokes as a result of constricted blood vessels and elevated blood pressure, which may even result in death.
Medication Education Snorting medication can cause serious mental and physical side effects. Abusing medication through snorting can destroy your nasal passages, enlarge your sinus cavity, decrease your sense of taste and smell, and cause severe physical harm to your body. Snorting medication bypasses the bodies natural digestive processes and introduces the drug almost directly into the blood stream via nasal passages. This process lowers the bodies ability to regulate the introduction of the drug into the system and causes a more direct or severe high. However, this also causes the user to become desensitized to many types of drugs as they are causing the body to become tolerant or resistant to the overall effects that the drug may be able to provide.
Medication Education Addiction through snorting drugs can occur at a rapid pace as well as cause more severe damage to the body as a whole. This is due to the bodies inability to regulate the absorption rate of medication when it is snorted. Physical signs of snorting addiction include. Chronic sinus infections and congestion. Changes in your voice. Frequent nose bleeds. Sleep apnea and snoring. Lung infections, pneumonia, and similar complications. Sores in and around your nose and mouth.
Medication Education While medication abuse is a serious problem, there are several treatment options available to help people deal with their addictions. If you feel that you need help with an addiction please contact your probation officer, case manager, or local mental health agency for assistance. The following section will discuss marijuana abuse.
Marijuana Education The following section will discuss the effects of Marijuana abuse.
Marijuana Education Marijuana impacts the brains ability to create and retain memories. The National Institute on Drug Abuse has found that the THC in Marijuana can cause problems in short term memory. This means that someone who frequently smokes Marijuana may have difficulty remembering things such as names, people, and places. The short term memory impacts of marijuana over time may cause other cognitive delays such as problems comprehending spoken words, focusing on specific points, and recalling thoughts or ideas without excessive prompting.
Marijuana Education Marijuana is the most frequently abused drug in The United States. Studies have found that after alcohol, marijuana has the highest dependency rate of non prescription drugs. Marijuana dependency is present when a person regularly smokes marijuana and experiences mood changes, anxiety, or depression when they suddenly stop or decrease its use. Marijuana dependency will decrease over time with appropriate abstaining or treatment.
Marijuana Education Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC is the chemical in Marijuana that has the most effect on the brain. THC travels throughout the body and can cause serious problems with movement, coordination, learning and memory, and cognitive functioning as a whole.
Marijuana Education Heavy Marijuana use can cause long term mental, emotional, and physical effects. These effects include altered brain development, cognitive impairment even when the person does not feel high, and personality changes such as anxiety or depression. The long term effects of extended marijuana use may not decrease over time depending on each person s individual physical makeup.
Marijuana Education Using Marijuana during pregnancy can cause birth defects. Studies by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) have found that using marijuana during pregnancy can cause severe birth defects and developmental problems. These problems include but are not limited too: Low Birthweight Premature Labor Attention and behavior problems Speech development issues Decreased cognitive abilities Decreased IQ over time
Marijuana Education Some people believe that smoking synthetic or artificial forms of marijuana (such as spice, K2, and other marketed Marijuana substitutes) are harmless. However, There are several physical and cognitive side effects to smoking synthetic marijuana. These side effects are often due to the fact that the chemicals found in synthetic marijuana are often unknown and can cause lasting physical and psychological damage. Psychical symptoms include heart palpitations, chest pains, muscle spasms, nausea, and seizures. Cognitive symptoms include paranoia, delusions, hallucinations, confusion, and disorientation.
Alcohol Education The following section will discuss the effects of alcohol abuse.
Facts about Alcohol Abuse Alcohol abuse is defined as any setting in which a person is either drinking under the age of 21, or is considered to be too intoxicated to drive. Alcoholism is similar to other addictions as it is a progressive disorder that becomes more severe the longer it goes without being addressed. Alcoholic depression occurs when someone becomes emotionally stunted or depressed if they are either in alcohol withdrawal or intoxicated. The following sections will discuss how alcohol effects the body.
Alcohol and the Body Your liver can process approximately 2 ounces of alcohol per hour. The average alcoholic beverage sold in a bar or restaurant contains around 2 ounces of alcohol. This means that the average liver can process the alcohol from one drink each hour. A 12 ounce beer, 4-6 ounce glass of wine, and 2 ounce shot of 80 proof liquor all have the same amount of pure grain alcohol in them. The amount of alcohol in a person s body is represented by the term Blood Alcohol Content (BAC).
Alcohol Education Blood Alcohol Content BAC is measured in grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood. A BAC of.01 indicates.01 grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood. Alcohol enters your bloodstream as soon as you take your first sip. Alcohol s immediate effects can appear within about 10 minutes. As you drink, you increase your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level, which is the amount of alcohol present in your bloodstream. The higher your BAC, the more impaired you become by alcohol s effects. Your body processes alcohol at the rate of approximately 2 ounces per hour. However, the alcohol that remains in your bloodstream is what causes intoxication and an increase in BAC. The following slides will discuss how BAC can affect both a person s body as well as their ability to operate a vehicle.
Alcohol Education Blood Alcohol Content BAC and the effects on the body. The chart to the left provides an illustrated look at how alcohol in the bloodstream may affect the body as a whole. Any BAC at or over.08% is considered to be legally intoxicated. This BAC can be achieved through consumer as few as 4 drinks in a relatively short period of time. *The original chart can be located at WWW.CDC.Gov
Alcohol and Driving A Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of.08 is considered the legal blood alcohol limit in all 50 states. If you have a BAC at or over.08 then you may be considered to be driving under the influence (DUI) and arrested. People who have been convicted of a DUI are often given large fines and have their driving privileges suspended or revoked. According to the Department of Transportation, 10,265 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in 2015. This number represents nearly onethird (31%) of all traffic-related deaths in the United States. The Department of Justice 2015 annual report states that over 1.1 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. A total of 5,064 of the people arrested for DUI in Tennessee during 2015 were under the age of 18
Alcohol and the Body Alcohol can cause brain damage, depression, and digestive problems over time. As with other types of addiction, alcoholism is progressive. The permanent physical effects of alcohol on the body can become more intensive if alcohol is consumed in large quantities repeatedly over time.
Alcohol and the Body Coffee will not sober you up quicker if you are intoxicated. The only thing that can help someone to become sober is time. The average human body can process and eliminate an average of 1 drink per hour. The process of becoming intoxicated happens when someone drinks more alcohol than their body can process which causes the alcohol to move through the rest of the body. The body will gradually eliminate the alcohol through waste and other bodily functions over time. Binge Drinking is defined as having 5 or more drinks in a single sitting.
Conclusion There are several ways to find help for addictions. If you believe that you may need assistance addressing a habit or addiction please contact your probation officer, case manager, doctor, or a local mental health agency to seek help. The following pages list references and resources that were utilized throughout this program.
References and Resources
Resources Alcoholics Anonymous: WWW.AA.ORG Narcotics Anonymous: WWW.NA.ORG Above The Influence: WWW.AboveTheInfluence.com Center For Disease Control: WWW.CDC.Gov
References Department of Transportation (US), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Traffic Safety Facts 2014 data: alcohol-impaired driving. Washington, DC: NHTSA; 2015 [cited 2016 Feb 5]. Department of Justice (US), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Crime in the United States 2014: Uniform Crime Reports. Washington (DC): FBI; 2015 [cited 2016 Feb 5]. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2015). Behavioral health trends in the United States: Results from the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The ABCs of BAC, (2005) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. https://www.absoluteadvocacy.org/most-commonly-abused-drugs/ https://www.addictions.com/marijuana/marijuana-birth-defects-smoking-pot-dangerouspregnant-women/ https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/how-does-marijuanause-affect-your-brain-body