Intro to Substance Abuse
Drugs and Addiction

• Each student will:
– Discuss the cycle of addiction
– Reason why teens are more likely to develop addiction over adults.

What are drugs?
A chemical substance that:
• affects the processes of the mind or body;
• may be used in the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of disease,
• used recreationally for its effects on the central nervous system.

Why can drugs be bad for your mind and body?
• Drugs used for medical purposes can be beneficial but still can have negative effects
• Drugs alter the chemical state of a person’s mind and body.
• They affect a person’s
– Appearance
– Physical health
– Social life
– Financial life

What are gateway drugs?
A gateway drug is a drug that opens the door to other, harder drug use.
What are examples of gateway drugs?
Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana

Types of Drugs
• Drugs can be separated into Types and
Categories
• Types of Drugs:
– Prescription Drugs
– Over-the-Counter (OTC) Drugs
– Recreational Drugs
• alcohol, tobacco, caffeine
– Illicit Drugs
• Illegal
• Most are psychoactive – changes brain chemistry

Categories of Drugs
• Stimulants
• Depressants
• Opiates
• Hallucinogens
• Designer Drugs
• Inhalants
• Steroids

Your Lifeline…
Examine the meaningful events that will happen to you in your lifetime.
1. Along the lifeline place all the significant events that have ALREADY occurred at the appropriate age.
2. Also place the events that will occur during your lifetime. (Dreams, Goals,
Plans). Place these events along the line at the age you estimate they will occur.

Lifeline Reflection
Gateway drug use often lead to harder drug use.
If you became an addict and wasted all you time and money worrying about drugs, how would that affect your lifeline?

Teen Addiction

Methods of Administration
Changes in Brain chemistry occur dependent on the method of administration. Methods include:
• Oral Ingestion
• Injection (can be into the intramuscular or intravenous)
• Smoke
• Inhalation
• Absorption
The quicker the drug reaches the brain the more likely the user is to become addicted.
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Synapses…

How Addiction Happens…
• Once a drug reaches the brain, it acts on one or more neurotransmitters, either increasing or decreasing their concentration and actions.
• Neurotransmitters include substances such as serotonin and dopamine that are released from your brain to make you feel good.

Dopamine and Serotonin

Besides drugs what else could someone be addicted to?

Potato Chip Activity
• How does it feel to stop after just one chip?
• How many of you would like another chip?
• How do cravings for potato chips differ from cravings for tobacco, alcohol or other drugs?
• How might your body react if you stopped eating potato chips?
• What if you stopped using tobacco, alcohol, or some other drug after you are addicted?

Dopamine and the brain

Downward Spiral of Addiction
Experimentation
Recreational or Social Use
Tolerance
Compulsive Craving
Addiction
Withdrawal

Downward Spiral of Addiction
Use of a substance just to see what it is like; Peers, family, media may all be an influence

Downward Spiral of Addiction
Use of a substance makes user feel good; think he/she is having fun and fitting in which often leads to using more frequently

Downward Spiral of Addiction
The body needs more of a substance because it requires more to get the same effect

Downward Spiral of Addiction
Beginning to have uncontrollable need for the substance

Downward Spiral of Addiction
Use becomes habitual (regular) and out of control; User is dependent on the substance

Downward Spiral of Addiction
Changes that occur when drug use stops

How quickly someone becomes addicted depends on several factors:
– Genetic connection to addiction
– Stress, worry, tension – the more there is, the more likely you are to look for so-called relief.
– Drug being used. Some drugs cause addiction after just one or a few uses.

When someone tries to give up tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs, they may suffer through a combination of symptoms.
Restlessness Depression Difficulty concentrating
Tremors Eating more than usual
Impatience
Frustration and
Anger
Loss of
Energy/Fatigue
Stomach or Bowel problems
Headaches
Heart palpitations
Sweating

Dependence
When a user needs the drug to be able to function normally.

Tolerance
When the person needs more and more to get the same effect

Other Drug Vocabulary
• Relapse – the tendency to return to addictive behavior after a period of abstinence.
• Euphoria – “high”
• Synesthesia – an effect where sensory messages are incorrectly assigned (hear a taste, smell a sound)
• Flashbacks – perceptual distortions and bizarre thoughts that occur after the drug has been eliminated from the body

Addiction to a drug can affect someone physically, socially, and mentally.

Symptoms of a Drug User
Personality
• Becomes disrespectful, verbal and physical abuse
• Is angry a lot, acts paranoid or confused, extreme mood swings
• Seems depressed and less out-going than usual.
• Is secretive, lies about what s/he is doing and where s/he is going.
• Steals or “loses” possessions s/he used to value.
• Seems to have a lot of money or is always asking for money

Symptoms of a Drug User
Physical Appearance
• Not taking care of hygiene and grooming.
• Not sleeping or sleeping too much.
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss or weight gain.
• Too hyperactive or too little energy.

Symptoms of a Drug User
Social Activity/School Performance
• Drops old friends and activities.
• Skips school
• Loses interest in school work and is getting low grades
• Sleeps in class
• Loses concentration and is having trouble remembering things.

Tolerance, Dependence or
Addiction?
Does the scenario represent
Tolerance,
Dependence or
Addiction?

Tolerance, Dependence or
Addiction?
Jen has to take twice as much heroin to get the same high she used to get with just one needle.
Tolerance

Tolerance, Dependence or
Addiction?
Neurons and dopamine receptors begin to die.
Dependence

Tolerance, Dependence or
Addiction?
Ryan has a compulsive need to drink alcohol.
Addiction

Tolerance, Dependence or
Addiction?
Stan will do anything, including steal from his friends to get the drugs.
Addiction

Tolerance, Dependence or
Addiction?
The brain adjusts to the drug to the point that it needs the drug to function normally.
Dependence

Tolerance, Dependence or
Addiction?
Sierra’s reward pathway doesn’t respond as strongly as it used to when she smokes a cigarette.
Tolerance

Tolerance, Dependence or
Addiction?
Jon experiences overwhelming physical withdrawal symptoms when he doesn’t take heroin.
Addiction

Tolerance, Dependence or
Addiction?
Instead of a good feeling, taking the drug only produces relief.
Dependence

Tolerance, Dependence or
Addiction?
The drug user’s brain cells become more resistant to the effects of the drug.
Tolerance

Tolerance, Dependence or
Addiction?
Lia cannot control her cocaine use anymore.
Addiction

Tolerance, Dependence, or
Addiction
• 1. Tolerance
• 2. Dependence
• 3. Addiction
• 4. Addiction
• 5. Dependence
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•
• 6. Tolerance
• 7. Addiction
• 8. Dependence
9. Tolerance
10. Addiction