Animals
This big animal is the only animal that cannot jump
What is an elephant
This expression refers to the suggestion to newcomers that they make at least one meeting a day for the first three months of their sobriety.
90 in 90
PAWS usually last how long
2 years
T/F Drugs are more addictive than natural rewards.
T (It is important to understand anhedonia and PAWS as it is related to living a positive life in recovery. Finding hobbies or activities that boost dopamine are recommended especially early on in recovery due to anhedonia aka the inability to feel pleasure. In time PAWS will wear off and we will start finding pleasure in normal activities.) If you do not start feeling pleasure in everyday activities eventually it may be good to reach out for help.
What is one example of an external trigger?
PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS
This little sea creature is 95% water
Jellyfish
Read at the beginning of most AA meetings, this is a statement, based on a portion of the foreword to the first edition of the Big Book, which briefly explains the purpose of AA.
AA preamble
T/F Acute withdrawal comes after PAWS
F (Acute withdrawal is first)
The human brain weights ___ pounds
3 (Called grey and white matter)
What is an internal trigger?
A thought or feeling that can lead a person to want to use
This feline does not roar like a lion, but it purrs like a cat
Cheetah
The 12 step concept represented in this statement: ‘Who you see here, what you hear here, when you leave here, let it stay here.’
Anonymity
T/F Stopping Marijuana use does not cause PAWS.
F (Insomnia and labile mood are common symptoms of stopping marijuana use.)
T/F Addiction is a disease
T
The term “Disease Model of Addiction” was coined more than 50 years after the American Medical Association (AMA) first deemed alcoholism as an illness in 1956. No longer considered as just a behavioral problem, addiction is now defined as “a primary, chronic disease of the brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry.
Listening to a song that reminds you of using or drinking is an example of what kind of trigger?
EXTERNAL
This animal is the worlds largest mammal
Whale
Rule #62
Don't take yourself so serious.
Post-acute withdrawal symptoms that persist or randomly occur during early recovery can become a risk factor for
Relapse.
Drugs work on the brain’s ______ system to flood the circuit with the neurotransmitter dopamine.
REWARD
Along with pleasure, dopamine regulates emotion, motivation, and movement. When it activates at normal levels, it rewards normal behaviors. When drugs overstimulate this neurotransmitter, the result is a euphoric feeling.
As with many interesting facts about addiction, there’s always a downside. The user is taught to use the drug again and again to repeat the experience. However, with all drugs, a tolerance can quickly build up, thus easily starting the beginning of an addiction.
A coping skill needs to be used when this has occurred
trigger
This animal is able to communicate by making noises in its throat by rasping its teeth
Fish
What people say to a newcomer when they first start coming in to meetings.
"Keep coming back"
PAWS tends to occur more commonly and intensely among individuals who use one or more of these 3 substances
Alcohol, opiates, benzos
Some types of drugs, such as heroin and even marijuana, have a chemical structure that is similar to that of a natural ____________
(neurotransmitter) They attach onto the brain’s neurons and “fool” them. Since the drug isn’t a natural neurotransmitter, drugs transmit abnormal messages throughout the body’s natural “network.” When this over and over, it can change how well the brain works.
In the case of amphetamines or cocaine, which are “uppers,” the neurons may either release abnormally large levels of natural neurotransmitters or prevent the normal recycling of brain chemicals. The disruption causes an amplified message which disrupts communication channels.
Teens who learn about drug abuse from their parents are ___ percent less likely to abuse illegal substances than those who do not.
50%!