Addiction
Setting the Stage
Lecture 1
Illicit drug use in the home increases a women’s chance of being murdered by 28%, regardless if
she was using or not.
Need I continue…
UPWARDS of 40,000 Canadians die from addiction-related causes annually (CCSA, 2009).
Canada racks up $40 billion in annual costs attributable to alcohol and other drug addiction
TYPICAL TREATMENT PROVIDERS HAVE FEWER THAN 2 TO 4 HOURS OF
CLASSWORK ON ADDICTIVE DISORDERS.
ESTIMATES OF THE PROBLEM OF NARCOTICS ABUSE AND ADDICTION
Alcohol is the most commonly used psychoactive drug in Canada
Four of 5 Canadians aged 15 or older consume alcohol
Of these, 5.6% report heavy infrequent use (binge drinkers)
Of these, 7.1% report heavy frequent alcohol use
Canadian Trends
Canadian Trends Illicit Drugs
A Problem Reporting Prevalence is that Research is often Imperfect
Defining Addiction
Traditional View
W – withdrawal
E – escalation
T – tolerance
Addiction on a Continuum
People frequently confuse chemical use with abuse and addiction.
However, looking at addiction from a holistic perspective, its quite obvious that there is varying
degree’s of addictive behaviours.
What is Addiction (cont.)
Complete abstinence is at one end of the continuum; physical addiction to a chemical at the
opposite end.
Between these two extremes are various patterns of use that differ in intensity, rendering
different consequences for the user.
Thus, for some people drug alcohol / abuse can be equated with possession or demon like
(complete loss of control)
While for others, they can social drink, smoke, others are weekend warriors so to speak, and
again, for others, they don’t touch substances at all.
The Continuum
Recreational drinker / user – [level 1]
used within a traditional context, (e.g. wine with supper, a few beers with the girls or Boys after
work, odd toke with friends)
Breaking the Continuum Down and Defining Terms
Substance abuse – “level 2-3”
occurs when an individual uses a drug without legitimate medical reason to do so. (I.E., drinking
alcohol beyond social standards, begins drinking socially, but at the end night is overtly drunk,
happens somewhat regularly
Thus, person is making poor choices, but still has control over their drinking, therefore may
drink 3-5 drinks, but can stop.
Maybe if one cannot stop at 3 to 5… A clear sign of level 3?
Addiction / dependence – “level 4”
person has no control over their use, person is preoccupied with using and when not using will
go to lengths to secure a source to use again.
Use has manifested multiple psychosocial problems, legal, family, social, employment, spiritual /
religious.
Pharmacodynamic tolerance CNS becomes insensitive to drug’s effect
Let’s Talk about Psychological Dependence
Psychological dependence is the individual perceived need for the drug/chemical/behavior
What do we really know addictive disorders?
Summing Up
However, we know as researchers, clinicians, and professionals in the field that there are:
1) More individuals who discontinue their use on their own;
2) Have problematically used and quit;
3) Who never present for treatment.
Thus a great proportion of knowledge about addiction may not be a true representation of the
addicted population.
Field is it’s infancy
So what is addiction?
Thus, it is important for “you” soon to be counselors or practioners in field at whatever level to
determine for yourself what constitutes an addiction.
Your future clients have their own opinion, but what is yours?
What level are they at, are they experiencing withdrawal, does their culture and social norms
consider addiction differently from you.
Short Group exercise
Your rows task is to create a definition and afterwards report that definition to the class
Three Components
Defining Addiction The Experts Way in…
DSM SAYS THERE ARE THREE COMPONENTS
Craving and a compulsion
Loss of control
Consequences
Standard Test For Alcoholism
Mast
http://www.theathlete.org/drug-abuse/assessment.htm