Module-4

Avoiding risks and Harmful Habits

• Characteristics of health compromising behaviors
• behaviours that undermine or harm current or future health. Habitual in
nature leading to addiction in certain cases. Substantial contributors to
global burden of disease.
• Produce pleasurable effects: sensory pleasure – alliesthesia (external stimulus
perceived as pleasant if maintains or improves internal homeostasis,
perceived as unpleasant if threatens internal homeostasis).
• Thrill-seeking behaviour.
• Stress reduction, coping mechanisms: avoidance – negative reinforcement.
• Acquired gradually over time: degree of engagement & experimentation
• Developmental state seen as window of vulnerability, risk-taking behaviour.
• Problematic family relationships.
• Developed Gradually.
Recognizing and avoiding of addictions
Recognizing and avoiding of Additions
• Someone with an addiction will crave a substance or other behavioral habits. They’ll
often ignore other areas of life to fulfill or support their desires.

• Lack of control, or inability to stay away from a substance or behavior

• Decreased socialization, like abandoning commitments or ignoring relationships

• Ignoring risk factors, like sharing needles despite potential consequences

• Physical effects, like withdrawal symptoms or needing higher dosage for effect
• Problems at school or work — frequently missing school or work, a sudden disinterest in school
activities or work, or a drop in grades or work performance.

• Physical health issues — lack of energy and motivation, weight loss or gain, or red eyes Neglected
appearance — lack of interest in clothing, grooming or looks.

• Changes in behavior — exaggerated efforts to bar family members from entering his or her room or
being secretive about where he or she goes with friends; or drastic changes in behavior and in
relationships with family and friends.

• Money issues—sudden requests for money without a reasonable explanation; or your discovery that
money is missing or has been stolen or that items have disappeared from your home, indicating maybe
they’re being sold to support drug use.
Recovering from addictions

• Admit There Is A Problem. The hardest part to recovery is admitting you have an addiction.

• Reflect On Your Addiction.

• Seek Professional Support.

• Appreciate The Benefits of Sobriety.

• Evidence-Based Care.

• Identify Your Triggers.

• Change Your Environment.

• Exercise.
Addiction is Mental Disorder
How addiction develops and addictive behaviours
Substance Use Disorder • Substance use disorder (SUD) is a complex condition in which there is
uncontrolled use of a substance, despite harmful consequences.
• People with SUD have an intense focus on using a certain substance(s) such as alcohol, tobacco, or
illicit drugs, to the point where the person’s ability to function in day to day life becomes impaired.
• People keep using the substance even when they know it is causing or will cause problems.
• The most severe SUDs are sometimes called addictions.
Types of addictions and influencing factors for addictions
What is Addiction? • Addictive behaviour: A behaviour based on the pathological
need for the substance or activity, may involve the abuse of substances, such as
alcohol or tobacco/opium or the excessive ingestion of high caloric food, resulting in
extreme obesity
• Addiction is a chronic disorder with biological, psychological, social and
environmental factors influencing its development and maintenance.
• Addiction occurs when the act of using a substance takes over these circuits and
increases the urge to consume more and more of the substance in order to achieve
the same rewarding effect.
Types of Addictions
• Alcoholism/Tobacco
• Drugs-Opium, Marijuana, Cocaine, Cannabis
• Internet/browsing addiction
• Cell phone addiction
• Video gaming
• Pornography
• Sedatives/Anxiolytics/inhalants
• Hyper obesity/Morbid obesity
More about Addiction
• About half the risk for addiction is genetic
• Genes affect the degree of reward that individuals experience when initially using a
substance (e.g., drugs) or engaging in certain behaviours (e.g., gambling), as well as
the way the body processes alcohol or other drugs.
• Heightened desire to re-experience use of the substance or behaviour, potentially
influenced by psychological(e.g., stress, history of trauma), social (e.g., family or
friends & use of a substance), and environ- mental factors (e.g., accessibility of a
substance, low cost) can lead to regular use/exposure, with chronic use/exposure
leading to brain changes
• All addictions are part of mental disorders!
Reasons for taking drugs
• To feel good — feeling of pleasure, “high” or "intoxication". Euphoria
• To feel better — relieve stress, forget problems, or feel numb
• To do better — improve performance or thinking
• Curiosity and peer pressure or experimenting
Symptoms of substance use disorder
• Impaired control: a craving or strong urge to use the substance; desire or failed attempts to cut down or
control substance use
• Social problems: substance use causes failure to complete major tasks at work, school or home; social,
work or leisure activities are given up or cut back because of substance use
• Risky use: substance is used in risky settings; continued use despite known problems
• Drug effects: Dependence: Involves physiological need for substance; tolerance (need for larger
amounts to get the same effect); withdrawal symptoms (different for each substance);
• Feeling that you have to use the drug regularly — daily or even several times a day.
• Having intense urges for the drug that block out any other thoughts.
• Over time, needing more of the drug to get the same effect.
• Failing in your attempts to stop using the drug.
• Taking larger amounts of the drug over a longer period of time than you intended
• Making certain that you maintain a supply of the drug Spending money on the drug, even though you
can’t afford it.
• Not meeting obligations and work responsibilities, or cutting back on social or recreational activities
because of drug use.
• Continuing to use the drug, even though you know
• it’s causing problems in your life or causing you physical or psychological harm.
• Doing things to get the drug that you normally wouldn’t do, such as stealing.
• Driving or doing other risky activities when you’re under the influence of the drug.
• Spending a good deal of time getting the drug, using the drug or recovering from the effects of the
drug.
• Experiencing withdrawal symptoms. when you attempt to stop taking the drug.
Consequences
• Brain changes include alterations in cortical (pre-frontal cortex) and sub-cortical (limbic system)
regions involving the neuro-circuitry of reward, motivation, memory, impulse control andjudgment.
• This can lead to dramatic increases in cravings for a drug or activity, as well as impairments in the
ability to successfully regulate this impulse, despite the knowledge and experience of many
consequences related to the addictive behaviour.
Complications
• Getting a communicable disease.
• Other health problems. Drug addiction can lead to a range of both short-term and long-term mental
and physical health problems. These depend on what drug is taken.
• While driving more likely do other dangerous activities while under the influence causing accidents.
• People who are addicted to drugs die by suicide.
• Family problems . Behavioral changes may cause marital or family conflict.
• Work issues. Decline in performance at work, absenteeism and eventual loss of employment.
• Problems at school. Academic performance and motivation to excel in school.
• Legal issues. While buying or possessing illegal drugs, stealing to support the drug addiction, driving
while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
• Financial problems.
 Differences between addictive people and non addictive people

What other factors increase the risk of addiction?

• Early use: Although taking drugs at any age can lead to addiction, research shows that the earlier
people begin to use drugs, the more likely they are to develop serious problems.
• This may be due to the harmful effect that drugs can have on the developing brain.
• It also may result from a mix of early social and biological risk factors, including lack of a stable home
or family, exposure to physical or sexual abuse, genes, or mental illness.
How to recover from addictions
Treating Substance Use Disorders (SUDs)
• The first step is recognition of the problem
• A formal assessment of symptoms: Medical professional
• Multiple types of treatment: A combination of medication and individual or group therapy is most
effective.
• Treatment approaches that address an individual’s specific situation and any co-occurring medical,
psychiatric, and social problems is optimal for leading to sustained recovery.
• Varies depending on substance and circumstances Treating substance use disorder is challenging and
includes one or more of the following: – Acute detoxification,
– Prevention and management of withdrawal
– Cessation (or rarely, reduction) of use
– Maintenance of abstinence
What works
• Cognitive-behavioural therapy: CBT can help addicted patients overcome substance abuse by
teaching them to recognize and avoid destructive thoughts and behaviours.
• Motivational interviewing: This therapy technique involves structured conversations that help
patients in- crease their motivation to overcome substance abuse.
• Contingency management. Provide tangible incentives to encourage patients to stay off drugs
• Psychodrama and group therapies
• Alcoholic Anonymous and Narcotic anonymous
• Rehab centers and Therapeutic Communities and other tertiary care centers
13 principles of effective drug addiction treatment
• Addiction is a complex, but treatable, disease that affects brain function and behavior
• No single treatment is appropriate for everyone.
• Treatment needs to be readily available.
• Effective treatment attends to multiple needs of the individual, not just his or her drug abuse.
• Remaining in treatment for an adequate period of time is critical.
• Counselling: individual and/or group and other behavioral therapies are the most commonly used
forms of drug abuse treatment.
• Medications are an important element of treatment for many patients, especially when combined
with counseling and other behavioral therapies.
• An individual’s treatment and services plan must be assessed continually and modified as necessary
to ensure it meets his or her changing needs.
• Many drug-addicted individuals also have other mental disorders.
• Medically assisted detoxification is only the first stage of addiction treatment and by itself does little to change
long-term drug abuse.
• Treatment does not need to be voluntary to be effective.
• Drug use during treatment must be monitored continuously, as lapses during treatment do occur.
• Treatment programs should assess patients for the presence of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis and other
infectious diseases, as well as provide targeted risk-reduction counseling to help patients modify or change
behaviors that place them at risk of contracting or spreading infectious diseases.
Effects and health hazards from addictions Such as...
Health Hazards
• Health issues: Cardiovascular, digestive and renal impairment, strokes, HIV/Aids, Cancer, Hepatitis B
and C, Lungs, Fetal Alcohol Syndromes, etc.
• Mental health issues: Anxiety, depression, Schizophrenias, organic mental disorders due to substance
abuse, cognitive dysfunction, personality disorder, etc
• Social health issues: Stigma, disrupted families, anti-social behaviours, higher crime records and law &
order problems.