HLSC 1F90 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Chemotherapy, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Multiple Sclerosis
11 Nov 2017
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Health Science 1F90 Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Lecture Seven
Addiction
❖ A chronic disease that involves disruption of the brain’s systems related to reward,
motivation, and memory
❖ It may start as a habit, but then become uncontrollable
❖ It causes a pathological use of a substance or pursuit of behaviour in order to
relieve/avoid withdrawal
❖ Historically, addiction was only recognized in relationship to drugs
❖ Now, it is recognized that behaviours can be addictive
o For example, gambling, cell phones, etc.
❖ For both drugs (substances) and behaviours, addiction has certain characteristics
Characteristics of Addiction
❖ Reinforcement – addictive behaviours reinforce themselves
o Positive – the behaviour/substance use reliably results in pleasure or reward
o Negative – being unable to engage in behaviour/use substance results in stress,
anxiety, discomfort, or depression
❖ Compulsion or Craving – there is a strong compulsion (irresistible need) to engage in the
behaviour/use substance
o Environmental cues trigger craving
o Obsessive planning for the next opportunity to engage
❖ Loss of Control – the individual cannot overcome the impulse to engage in the
behaviour/use the substance
❖ Escalation – more and more of the behaviour or substance is required to produce its
desired effects – this is a result of tolerance
o Tolerance – physical state in which the body adapts to a drug and the initial dose
no longer produces the original physical (body) or psychological (brain) effects
o Ex. Gambling, you want to gamble more with higher amounts
❖ Negative Consequences – the behaviour or substance use continues despite very serious
negative consequences
Risk Factors for Addiction
❖ To understand risk factors, consider how an addiction develops…
o A person does something to bring pleasure or avoid pain
▪ Drinks, goes online, gambles, shops, smokes, injects drugs
o If it works, the person repeats it (positive reinforcement)
o Tolerance develops (more of the behaviour/substance is required to get the
desired effect)
o Negative consequences emerge, but stopping seems unbearable due to
withdrawal symptoms
❖ Risk of drug addiction depends on a combination of physical, psychological, and social
factors
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
A chronic disease that involves disruption of the brain"s systems related to reward, motivation, and memory. It may start as a habit, but then become uncontrollable. It causes a pathological use of a substance or pursuit of behaviour in order to relieve/avoid withdrawal. Historically, addiction was only recognized in relationship to drugs. Now, it is recognized that behaviours can be addictive: for example, gambling, cell phones, etc. For both drugs (substances) and behaviours, addiction has certain characteristics. Reinforcement addictive behaviours reinforce themselves: positive the behaviour/substance use reliably results in pleasure or reward, negative being unable to engage in behaviour/use substance results in stress, anxiety, discomfort, or depression. Compulsion or craving there is a strong compulsion (irresistible need) to engage in the behaviour/use substance: environmental cues trigger craving, obsessive planning for the next opportunity to engage. Loss of control the individual cannot overcome the impulse to engage in the behaviour/use the substance. Gambling, you want to gamble more with higher amounts.
