True or False
Drug addiction is a behavioral problem.
False, addiction is classified by medicsl experts as a chronic, relapsing brain disease that causes long-term structural and functional changes to brain circuits in reward, motivation, and self-control.
Having a mental health condition raises a person’s risk of substance use disorder (SUD).
True. Mental health conditions and SUDs often happen together. If someone has an SUD, they are at a higher risk of developing a mental health condition, and vice versa.
Drinking Alcohol doesn't really have long-term health risk.
FALSE: Drinking alcohol increases your risk of developing certain diseases and health problems that are much worse than a simple hangover. Alcohol use is a related factor in more than 200 diseases and traumas, including cirrhosis of the liver, cancer, and cardiovascular disease, not to mention alcohol addiction and its consequences
Genetics, environment, and mental health are three major risk factors of addiction.
True:
Misusing prescription medications, taking illegal drugs, or drinking alcohol can:
A) Cause or worsen anxiety, sadness, anger, and depression
B) Affect your memory and mood
C) Cause you to act out of character
D) All of the above
All of the above
A drug will always have the same effects every time, so you know what to expect.
TRUE: When you buy drugs from a dealer, even if it’s always the same person and they provide a quality product, you never know exactly what’s in the dose. It might contain:
• The desired substance in its pure state
• The substance mixed with other products
• A completely different substance than you expect
And that means you may experience:
• No effect
• A partial or full effect
• An extremely strong, dangerous, and even toxic effect
A drug will always have the same effects every time, so you know what to expect.
TRUE: When you buy drugs from a dealer, even if it’s always the same person and they provide a quality product, you never know exactly what’s in the dose. It might contain:
• The desired substance in its pure state
• The substance mixed with other products
• A completely different substance than you expect
And that means you may experience:
• No effect
• A partial or full effect
• An extremely strong, dangerous, and even toxic effect
The chemical released in the brain during drug use to create a feeling of pleasure.
What is dopamine.
In 2023, 10% of fake pills contained a deadly dose of fentanyl.
False. 50% of the fake pills contained fentanyl.
Alchohol is a psychoactive substance.
TRUE: Alcohol is a psychoactive substance that is classified as a central nervous system depressant. It slows down brain activity, reduces inhibition, and impairs coordination.
TRUE OR FALSE: Mental health and addiction issues only impact certain peopel.
Anyone can experience mental health challenges or SUD, regardless of age, race, background, or income. These are public health issues that impact individuals, families, and communities.
Define PAWS and give one example.
Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) is a set of ongoing psychological and emotional symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, irritability, sleep problems, and trouble concentrating, that occur after the initial physical withdrawal phase from drugs or alcohol. It can last for months or even up to 1–2 years as the brain slowly recovers from substance use, and symptoms may come and go, sometimes triggering relapse.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.
True. It is often added to illegal drugs and fake pills to make them more potent. It only takes a tiny amount to cause a fatal overdose.4
How would you define a co-occuring disorder?
Mental health conditions that happen at the same time as addiction.
On average in the United States, there’s a drug overdose every ____ minutes.
On average in the United States, there’s a drug overdose every 5 minutes.