Addiction
Causes of addiction.
Genetics: Studies show that genetic factors are responsible for 40% to 60% of the vulnerability to any SUD.
Mental Health Conditions: About half of the people who experience a mental health condition will also experience a substance abuse disorder SUD and vice versa.
Environmental Factors: Access to substances is a particularly significant environmental risk factor. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) also play a role. ACEs are stressful or traumatic events during childhood. ACEs are strongly related to the development of a wide range of health problems throughout a person’s lifespan, including addiction
Define tolerance in substance use.
Substance use tolerance is when people need more and more of the same substance to get the same effect. Over time, substances will cause the brain to produce less dopamine, the neurotransmitter that produces feelings of pleasure. Users may need more of the substance than before to reach the same level of dopamine to get the same “high.”
The difference between a “lapse” and a “relapse.”
The "lapse" is the initial drink or drug use. The "relapse" is the return to uncontrolled using.
Define mindfulness.
Mindfulness means paying attention to the present moment, without judging or trying to change it. This involves observing your thoughts, feelings, and sensations without getting caught up in them.
Define the cognitive model.
• A situation occurs
• You have thoughts about what has occurred.
• You experience emotions based upon your thoughts.
• You respond to your thoughts and feelings with behaviors.
Using the cognitive model, you will learn to identify your own patterns of thoughts, emotions and behaviors. You’ll come to understand how your thoughts shape how you feel and how they impact your life in significant ways. Once you become aware of your own irrational thoughts, you will learn to change them.
Definition of addiction.
Addiction is a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual’s life experiences. People with addiction use substances or engage in behaviors that become compulsive and often continue despite harmful consequences.
Physical effects of addiction.
1. Building tolerance: needing more of the substance to achieve desired effect.
2. Experiencing withdrawal: physical or psychological symptoms when not using the substance.
Three stages of relapse.
1. Emotional relapse
2. Mental Relapse
3. Physical Relapse
Two key elements of mindfulness.
1. Awareness: Noticing your thoughts, feelings, and sensations as they happen. The goal isn’t to stop thinking— it’s to become aware of your experience, rather than getting lost in it.
2. Acceptance: Noticing your experience without judging or trying to change it. For example, if you notice a feeling of anxiety, simply state to yourself: “I notice I’m feeling anxious.”
Stages of change.
1. Precontemplation
2. Contemplation
3. Preparation
4. Action
5. Maintenance
Four ways to treat addiction.
1. Individual therapy
2. Group therapy
3. Support groups
4. Medication
Describe urge surfing.
Urge surfing is a technique for managing your unwanted behaviors. Rather than giving in to an urge, you will ride it out, like a surfer riding a wave. After a short time, the urge will pass on its own. This technique can be used to stop or reduce drug and alcohol use, emotional reactions such as “blowing up” when angry, gambling, and other unwanted behaviors.
First goal of treatment for relapse prevention.
Learn triggers and the early warning signs (red flags).
Benefits of mindfulness.
Three types of communication styles.
1. Passive communication
2. Aggressive communication
3. Assertive communication
List seven symptoms of PAWS.
1) Mood swings
2) Anxiety
3) Irritability
4) Variable energy
5) Low enthusiasm
6) Variable concentration
7) Disturbed sleep.
Define HALT and what it is used for.
HALT: Hungry, anger, lonely, tired
HALT is used to identify crucial risk states in emotional well-being. These risk states can significantly impact decision-making and reactions to situations. By recognizing when we are experiencing hunger, anger, loneliness, or tiredness, we can take proactive steps to avoid impulsive actions and make healthier choices for our emotional and mental health.
Three of the six signs of emotional relapse.
1) Bottling up emotions
2) Isolating
3) Not going to meetings
4) Going to meetings but not sharing
5) Focusing on others (focusing on other people’s problems or focusing on how other people affect them)
6) Poor eating and sleeping habits
Ways emotional dysregulation contribute to relapse.
Emotional dysregulation, characterized by difficulty in managing or expressing emotions, can lead to impulsive behaviors, increased stress, and a greater susceptibility to relapse.
Define the three types of boundaries and give an example of each.
1. Rigid boundaries
2. Porous boundaries
3. Healthy boundaries
Four stages of recovery.
1) Abstinence Stage
2) Post-Acute Withdrawal
3) Repair Stage
4) Growth Stage
Five rules of recovery.
1) Change your life
2) Be completely honest
3) Ask for help
4) Practice self-care
5) Don’t bend the rules
REMEMBER: No one achieves recovery by just not using.
Four of the eight signs of mental relapse.
1) Craving for drugs or alcohol
2) Thinking about people, places, and things associated with past use
3) Minimizing consequences of past use or glamorizing past use
4) Bargaining
5) Lying
6) Thinking of schemes to better control using
7) Looking for relapse opportunities
8) Planning a relapse
Define fight-or-flight response.
The fight-or-flight response is one of the tools your body uses to protect you from danger. When you feel threatened, the fight-or-flight response is automatically triggered, and several physiological changes prepare you to either confront or flee from the threat.
Define cognitive distortions and give three examples.
Cognitive distortions are irrational thoughts that shape how you see the world, how you feel, and how you act. It’s normal to have these thoughts occasionally, but they can be harmful when frequent or extreme.
Cognitive distortions: magnification, minimization, catastrophizing, overgeneralization, magical thinking, personalization, jumping to conclusions, mind reading, fortune telling, emotional reasoning, disqualifying the positive, "should" statements and all-or-nothing thinking.