Student will define the disease concept of addiction.

“Disease of Addiction: A condition in which a person develops bio-psycho-social dependence on any mood-altering substance.” A DISEASE which is PRIMARY, CHRONIC, HEREDITARY, eventually FATAL, and may PROGRESS from an EARLY PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSCEPTIBILITY into a condition characterized by TOLERANCE changes, PSYCHOLOGICAL DEPENDENCE and LOSS OF CONTROL over a mood-altering substance.

PRIMARY “First in order of development or importance; the condition from which all other symptoms are derived; original.” The psychological, social and behavioral symptoms are caused by or are the consequences of the primary disease, not the other way around. The Psychological symptoms show up in the early stages before the user appears to be physically addicted. Because addiction is a primary physical disease, it is affected by And affects all areas of a person’s life –- bio-psycho-social disease.

CHRONIC Chronic means that the disease is perpetual, constant and lasting a long time, contrasted by acute, which means sever and of short duration. HERIDITARY Heredity is the foundation for the building of addiction. EVENTUALLY FATAL The disease of addiction will kill one way or another If use is continued. (Heart attacks, accidents, liver disease, strokes, choking, internal Bleeding, cirrhosis, cancer, heart failure, lung infections, pneumonia, Overdose, suicide)

PROGRESSES Progresses means becoming more severe or spreading to other parts of the body. EARLY PHYSIOLOGICAL SUSCEPTIBILITY Alcohol susceptibility centers on two areas of the Body; the liver and the brain. Scientists have Discovered that an enzyme in the liver breaks Down alcohol into a highly toxic substance, Acetaldehyde, forty times faster in alcoholics than In non alcoholics. Alcoholics have an inherited, uncontrollable reaction to alcohol causing them to become addicted when they drink…EPS

TOLERANCE People who are becoming addicted can usually use larger and larger quantities of the drug without becoming intoxicated and without suffering harmful consequences. Tolerance fluctuates with progression of the disease. PHYSIOLOGICAL DEPENDENCE When the cells of the body adapt to high levels of a mood-altering substance and begin to function normally when it is present, physiological dependence has developed. Withdrawal symptoms: Tremors Headaches Fogged brain Bad memory Lack of concentration Forgetfulness Hallucinations Paranoia Convulsions, DT’s