Education
________________ is the pleasure chemical in our brains that plays a major role in substance abuse and addiction
What is dopamine?
Information or an emergency plan to help an individual not use. This plan could include identified triggers, coping skills, important phone numbers, and healthy recreational activities to participate in.
What is a relapse prevention plan?
Addiction is a brain disease True or False?
What is True
Addiction hijacks the brain’s reward system, altering dopamine signaling, rewiring neural circuits, and impairing decision-making, self-control, and emotional regulation
Regular use leads to tolerance, and stopping suddenly can trigger symptoms such as irritability, anxiety, aggression, insomnia, and changes in appetite.
What is withdrawal symptoms of marijuana
What is CBT? and how can this be helpful in addiction recovery?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a practical, short-term form of psychotherapy. It is based on the idea that our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all interconnected. Rather than focusing on the past, CBT helps you identify and challenge negative thought patterns so you can change how you respond to difficult situation
This powerful tool in addiction recovery enhances emotional resilience, reducing relapse risk and fostering long-term sobriety. This can help individuals shift focus from deficits and cravings to positive aspects of life, promoting hope, optimism, and a sense of progress
What is Gratitude?
These areas regulate judgment, planning, and self-control. Chronic substance use reduces their volume and function, impairing decision-making and increasing compulsive drug-seeking
Prefrontal Cortex and Orbitofrontal Cortex: Decision-Making and Impulse Control
3 substances that can be fatal if experiencing withdrawal symptoms
What are possible symptoms?
What are Alcohol, Benzos, Barbituates
Common Symptoms of Alcohol Withdrawal
When a person who is dependent on alcohol suddenly reduces or stops their intake, they may experience a variety of withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms typically begin within 6 to 12 hours after the last drink and can include:
Anxiety and Nervousness: Feelings of unease and heightened anxiety are common during withdrawal
Tremors: Hand tremors often start within 6-10 hours and can spread to other parts of the body
Nausea and Vomiting: Gastrointestinal distress is frequently reported
Headaches: Many individuals experience headaches as a withdrawal symptom
Sweating and Increased Heart Rate: Autonomic symptoms like excessive sweating and palpitations are common
Sleep Disturbances: Insomnia and disrupted sleep patterns are prevalent during withdrawal
Confusion and Hallucinations: In more severe cases, individuals may experience confusion or visual/auditory hallucinations
Severe Symptoms
In some cases, withdrawal can escalate to more severe symptoms, including:
Seizures: These can occur within the first 24-48 hours after cessation and require immediate medical attention
Delirium Tremens (DTs): This is a severe form of alcohol withdrawal that can occur 48-72 hours after the last drink. Symptoms include severe confusion, agitation, hallucinations, and autonomic instability. DTs can be life-threatening and require urgent medical intervention
Possible symptoms include:
(Benzos)
Barbiturate withdrawal can cause a range of physical and psychological symptoms, some of which can be life-threatening, including anxiety, tremors, insomnia, nausea, seizures, and delirium.
These are biological, environmental, and other conditions that increase the risk for addiction.
-Your parents or role models engaged in criminal behavior consistently when you were growing up
-You have had depression, anxiety, PTSD or other psychological problems
-Your parents or other role models used alcohol or drugs excessively around you when you were growing up
-You started experimenting with alcohol or drugs as a child or in your early teen years
What are Personal Risk Factors?
The more risk factors you have, the more vulnerable you are. It is important to remember that these risk factors do not each have an equal influence on whether or not you become addicted.
These regions process emotions and stress. Drug use can hyperactivate them, increasing anxiety, stress reactivity, and cravings, which heighten relapse risk
Extended Amygdala and Amygdala: Emotional Regulation and Stress Response
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) combines FDA-approved medications with behavioral therapies to treat substance use disorders (SUDs) such as opioid use disorder (OUD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD). The medications help stabilize brain chemistry, reduce cravings, manage withdrawal, and lower relapse risk
Common Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD)
Methadone – A long-acting full opioid agonist that reduces cravings and withdrawal symptoms without producing euphoria. Administered in specialized clinics SAMHSA.
Buprenorphine – A partial opioid agonist with a high ceiling effect, reducing the risk of misuse. Can be prescribed in office-based settings, increasing access to treatment SAMHSA.
Naltrexone – An opioid antagonist that blocks opioid effects, reducing cravings and preventing relapse. Available as oral or intramuscular extended-release SAMHSA.
Common Medications for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)
Acamprosate – Helps restore brain chemistry after abstinence, reducing cravings and preventing relapse. Most effective when alcohol is avoided Alcohol Rehab Help.
Disulfiram – Causes unpleasant reactions if alcohol is consumed, discouraging drinking. Best used after detox or early abstinence Alcohol Rehab Help.
Naltrexone – Also used for AUD; blocks alcohol’s effects on the brain, reducing craving
Conditions and behaviors that reduce the likelihood of relapse and support long-term recovery from addiction.
What are Protective Factors
This experiment demonstrated that social and environmental enrichment dramatically reduces drug self-administration, suggesting addiction is strongly influenced by context rather than just the pharmacology of drugs
What is the Rat Park Experiment?
Peer-led programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), and SMART Recovery provide structured group meetings where individuals share experiences, gain accountability, and build a sense of belonging. Peer recovery support services (PRSS) offer one-on-one guidance, life skills training, and help remove barriers to recovery
What are Peer Support and Support Groups?
HIVE OF HOPE
SECOND CHANCE OPPORTUNITIES
HEALING SPRINGS
CDRC
CATHOLIC CHARITIES
5 skills you have learned in treatment to manage cravings and triggers
(this is a question with many answers. Must answer in form of question still). What is (are) a sponsor, a relapse prevention plan, laughter, service, work, being with family, hobbies etc.