ADDICTION
Heroin
According to the Specification you need to
be able to :
Describe, with reference to
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
heroin and nicotine
Substance misuse
Mode of action
Effects
Tolerance
Physical / psychological dependencies
withdrawal
What is Addiction?

Doctors call a drug addictive if it makes you
dependent on the drug.

Unpleasant withdrawal symptoms appear unless
you take the drug.

Addictive drugs also make you crave them - you
have an overwhelming urge to continue taking the
drug, even after withdrawal symptoms have
disappeared.
Tolerance

More of the drug is needed to obtain the
feelings that were produced at first.

A stage may be reached where no amount of
the drug will achieve the resulting high.

Simply take the drug to delay withdrawal
symptoms.
Withdrawal

Unpleasant symptoms occur when the drug is not
taken, such as sickness and depression.

Can get rid of the withdrawal symptoms by taking
the drug again.

This leads to a cycle of drug taking where users may
try to stop but then have to take it again to avoid
withdrawal symptoms.
Some startling statistics…
• Heroin overdoses have caused more deaths
than traffic accidents in the past several years
• The use of Heroin has quadrupled in the last
15 years
• 1.2 million people in the UK use Heroin
• 300,000 children live with parents who have
serious heroin addiction
What is the difference
between biological addiction
and psychological
addiction?
Biological Addiction
• The body becomes dependant on the drug.
• Without it, severe withdrawal symptoms occur
such as pain or sickness.
• Body becomes used to the drug and causes a
physical reaction if they don’t receive it.
• Body develops a tolerance to the drug –
require more of it to have an effect.
Psychological Addiction
• Conscious desire to obtain drug out of a
perceived need for its affect.
• User might say it makes them “feel good” or
“calm down”.
• May use drug to escape from real-life.
• Think it is the only way they can cope.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6uBkJSbQO0
Addiction
• What is the difference between drug
abuse and drug addiction?
• When does drug abuse become
addiction?
Addiction
• Drug abuse is initially a voluntary
behaviour
• There is a Continuum of drug abuse and
drug addiction
• You can reach addiction at different points
depending on the individual
No use
Drug Abuse
Drug Addiction
Abuse is voluntary; addiction is
the continued compulsive drug
use despite adverse health or
social consequences.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hLVl7Asp3k
Heroin
• Tolerance
- The reward circuit becomes highly activated
- Over-production of dopamine
- The body has to adapt to the heroin – try and
achieve homeostasis (balance)
- Reduces the amount of dopamine produced
- More enzymes are produced to break it down
- Stifles the brain's reward circuit through inhibitionthe same dose of drug is less rewarding
Heroin
• Tolerance
- Heroin rapidly develops tolerance
- Users very quickly need increasing amounts
of it to get the “high”
- Eventually just users take heroin to delay
unpleasant withdrawal symptoms
Heroin
• Physical Dependence
- Linked to tolerance – need increasing amounts
to reach high so become physically
dependent.
- Body is used to functioning with heroin – so
needs it for normal functioning.
- E.g. Brain of heroin users produce less
endorphins so addicts will rely on heroin for
pleasure and reduction of pain.
Heroin
Psychological Dependence
- Heroin becomes a great importance in their life.
- Important for person’s mental state.
- Often taken by people with living difficulties, no
self-esteem and employment problems
- Heroin gives users a feeling of pleasure and dulls
the senses – don’t despair as much.
Heroin
Withdrawal
- Usually start within 12 hours of last
fix.
- Severity of withdrawal is dependent
on the level of addiction
- Starts with agitation and restlessness
Heroin
Withdrawal
- After a day, become more agitated and restless
- Then “skin crawl” – itchy blood
- Cramps and vomiting
- Diarrhoea and sweating
- Twitching and shaking
- Muscle ache and pain
Heroin
• Withdrawal
- Symptoms usually go after
about a week.
- Sudden withdrawal after
sustained use can cause
death.
Morphine Withdrawal :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hw4HvuHnQ8&NR=1
Diary of Heroin Addiction
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7thZbHTvZIQ
To learn more about Heroin addiction watch this
film
You can think of a brain pathway as a power line that connects two brain
regions. Brain pathways are made up of interconnected neurons along which
signals are transmitted from one brain region to another.
Dopamine is the neurotransmitter used by the reward pathway. But there are
other important pathways in the brain that utilize dopamine.
Generally, drugs that affect dopamine levels in the brain affect all of these
dopamine pathways.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl8-C9ZuLTA
Dopamine and another neurotransmitter called Serotonin are released
by a small number of neurons in the brain.
Nigrostriatal pathway
Substantia Nigra to
Striatum
. Motor control
. Death of neurons in
this pathway can result
in
Parkinson's Disease
Mesolimbic and Mesocortical
pathways
Ventral Tegmental Area to Nucleus
Accumbens, Amygdala & Hippocampus,
and Prefrontal Cortex
. Memory
. Motivation and emotional response
. Reward and desire
. Addiction
. Can cause hallucinations and
schizophrenia if not functioning properly
There are 3 main
pathways that
use
Dopamine
Tuberoinfundibular pathway
Hypothalamus to Pituitary gland
. Hormonal regulation
. Maternal behavior (nurturing)
. Pregnancy
. Sensory processes
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/rewardbehavior/
Mode of Action:
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/c
ontent/addiction/crossingdivide/
Glutamate and GABA
A system in Balance
• Glutamate and GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)
are the brain's major "workhorse"
neurotransmitters.
• Over half of all brain synapses release glutamate,
and 30-40% of all brain synapses release GABA.
• Since GABA is inhibitory and glutamate is
excitatory, both neurotransmitters work together
to control many processes, including the brain's
overall level of excitation.
• Many of the drugs of abuse affect either
glutamate or GABA or both to exert tranquilizing
or stimulating effects on the brain.
As an antagonist of the GABA receptor, Heroin blocks GABA.
This in turn elevates the quantity of Dopamine produced in this pathway.
This causes an increase in the concentration of dopamine at the
synapse throughout the reward pathway.
Heroin blocks the inhibitor
Gaba (traffic cop) –controls the dopamine activity in the
synapse
Heroin stops it
from working
by locking it
up
Mode of Action: Can you describe it?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
In groups…..
• Use this system to explain how tolerance may occur…
• Why may the first ‘high’ never be achieved?
• Describe how this leads to physiological dependence?
• Describe how this leads to psychological dependence?
• Why is withdrawal so bad?
Pete has been admitted to rehab
clinics on a regular basis over the past
3 years. He has had drug dependency
and addiction issues for around 5-6
years which has seriously jeopardized
his health.
Pete abuses heroin on a regular basis,
mainly injecting the substance.
However, he has failed to fully comply
with any of his doctor’s orders. This
includes complete detoxification
(controlled withdrawal from drugs)
which also involves counseling
sessions.
In your groups
List all of the Bio-psycho-social factors that may be
preventing Pete from choosing a healthy lifestyle.
HW
Read and make notes on Heroin in textbook
Look at the Talk to Frank website
http://www.talktofrank.com/
The Home Office’s advertising campaign to encourage
young people to 'talk to FRANK' for accurate and impartial
information about drugs
Do anti drugs adverts work?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21242664
Task
Describe and evaluate
one campaign that has
encouraged people
to use
recreational drugs.