Announcements Truth, Lies & Addiction: Secrets of the Tobacco Industry by Dr. Victor DeNoble Wednesday, 10/ :00 Conoco Phillips Alumni Center Psychology Club Ice Cream Social on Wednesday, 10/17 5 p.m. on Kerr-Drummond Lawn Free hot dogs, hamburgers & ice cream Walkaround – Psi Chi & Psychology Club will be selling “buck-eyes” and hot chocolate

Substance Use Disorders: Overview Chapter 10

Hallucinogens: An Overview Nature of Hallucinogens Substances that change the way the user perceives the world May produce delusions, paranoia, hallucinations, and altered sensory perception Specific neurobiological actions are unknown Examples include marijuana, LSD

Hallucinogens: An Overview Marijuana Active chemical is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) May produce several symptoms (e.g., mood swings, paranoia, hallucinations) Impairment in motivation is not uncommon (i.e., amotivational syndrome) Major signs of withdrawal and dependence do not typically occur but can in some individuals

Hallucinogens: An Overview (cont.) LSD and Other Hallucinogens d-lysergic acid diethylamide Tolerance tends to be rapid, and withdrawal symptoms are uncommon Psychotic delusional and hallucinatory symptoms can be problematic

Substance Use Disorders: Etiology Chapter 10

Causes of Substance-Related Disorders: Social and Cultural Dimensions Exposure to drugs is a prerequisite for use of drugs Drug availability in society Legal v. illegal substances Prohibition never 100% successful Media, family, peers Peer group especially important during time of peak substance use – adolescence and young adulthood Parents and the family appear critical The role of cultural factors Influence the manifestation of substance abuse Moderating influence upon individual risk factors

Causes of Substance-Related Disorders: Family and Genetic Influences Results of family, twin, and adoption studies Substance abuse has a genetic component Much of the focus has been on alcoholism Genetic differences in alcohol metabolism Ethnic and gender differences Multiple genes are involved in substance abuse Sensitivity to substance may be an important inherited risk for developing problems

Alcohol Use Disorders and Genetic Influence Children with one or more alcohol-dependent parents are 3 to 5 times more likely to develop alcohol dependence, 7 times more likely to develop alcohol abuse Genetic influence particularly strong for “Type II alcoholics” Cloninger’s alcoholism typology: Type I – later onset of drinking, more anxiety, unlikely to behave in an antisocial way when drinking Type II – early onset drinking, little anxiety, more social consequences of drinking, associated with antisocial personality disorder Type II alcoholism occurs at much higher rates among boys with alcohol dependent fathers

Causes of Substance-Related Disorders: Neurobiological Influences Results of Neurobiological Research Drugs affect the pleasure or reward centers in the brain The pleasure center – Dopamine, midbrain, frontal cortex Some drugs directly affect this center – cocaine and amphetamines Other drugs indirectly affect this center by interfering with the performance of the inhibiting GABA system – alcohol and opioids Neurotransmitters responsible for anxiety/negative affect may be inhibited

Causes of Substance-Related Disorders: Psychological Dimensions Role of learning factors in development of disorder Initial use driven by positive reinforcement (high), continued use by negative reinforcement (avoidance of withdrawal) – opponent process theory Negative reinforcement could explain initial use as well Tension reduction hypothesis Coping skills deficits hypothesis Self-medication hypothesis Expectancies predict use and abuse Expectancies in young children predict later problems Expectancies among college students predict quantity and frequency of use, and may account for acute effects

Exposure or access to a drug is necessary, but not sufficient Many use, relatively few develop problems Drug use depends on social and cultural expectations Drugs are usually initially used because of their pleasurable effects Drugs are abused for reasons that are more complex The premise of equifinality Reasons for initial use not necessarily the same as reasons for continued use Stress may interact with psychological, genetic, social, and learning factors An Integrative Model of Substance-Related Disorders