Drug-Taking Behaviour (Edexcel A-Level Psychology): Revision Notes
Drug-Taking Behaviour
Introduction
Drug-taking behaviour involves the use of both illegal and legal substances that can become addictive. Illegal substances include drugs such as heroin, while legal substances include alcohol and nicotine found in tobacco. When individuals use these substances, they may develop an addiction, characterised by a strong need for the drug. Stopping drug use can lead to withdrawal symptoms, which are unpleasant physical and psychological effects experienced when the substance is no longer taken.
Drug-taking behaviour encompasses a wide range of substances - from illegal drugs like heroin to everyday legal substances such as alcohol and nicotine. Both types can lead to addiction and withdrawal, making this a critical area of health psychology.
Addiction
Addiction is a condition that develops when an individual repeatedly uses a substance (such as drugs, alcohol or nicotine) that they find enjoyable, but this continued use begins to interfere with their everyday responsibilities. These responsibilities may include work performance, maintaining relationships or looking after their health.
As addiction develops, drug users experience an increasingly overwhelming urge to continue using the substance. This compulsion can lead to the person becoming excessively focused on obtaining and using the drug, which then creates problems in other areas of their life.
A key feature of addiction is that the drug user may believe they must have the substance and cannot function without it. Despite knowing that drug use is causing harm or creating difficulties, those who are addicted often find it extremely difficult to stop the behaviour.
Addiction manifests in both physical and psychological ways:
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Physical aspects: The body shows physical symptoms when the drug is not taken, resulting in physical dependency. However, addiction extends beyond the body's physical desire for the drug or a simple physical reaction to it.
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Psychological aspects: Addiction also creates a psychological need for the drug. To fully understand addiction, it is necessary to consider the cognitive processes (thoughts), biological mechanisms and social factors that contribute to the behaviour, and how these processes are influenced by drug use. Together, these factors contribute to the dependency that develops.
The effects of addiction, including withdrawal symptoms and dependency, vary depending on which drug the person is taking.
Dependency
Dependency develops through two distinct but interconnected pathways: psychological and physical. Understanding both types is essential for comprehending the full nature of drug addiction.
Psychological dependency
People typically continue to take drugs because of the psychological effects they experience when using them. Drugs can affect emotions, thought processes, reactions and behaviours in various situations. For example, some individuals may report feeling more confident, relaxed or better able to achieve certain goals as a result of taking their chosen drug.
Through repeated use of the drug, a psychological dependence develops because the person believes they cannot manage or cope without taking it. Consequently, they continue to use the drug.
Psychological dependency is driven by the mental and emotional effects of drugs rather than purely physical changes. Users may feel they need the drug to function socially, emotionally, or cognitively in their daily lives.
Physical dependency
Drugs affect how the body functions by altering the way neurotransmitters operate in the brain. For instance, heroin increases the amount of dopamine in the reward pathways of the brain. Specifically, it affects the nucleus accumbens (an area of the midbrain associated with the brain's reward system) and ventral tegmental area (an area of the midbrain associated with the brain's reward system and the origin of dopaminergic activity). The drug boosts the activation of dopaminergic synapses, creating an intensely pleasurable or euphoric experience whilst it lasts.
People may therefore continue to take a drug because it produces a pleasant physical side effect. Through repeated use, the drug creates a physical dependency as the brain adapts to the changes imposed by the drug, meaning it no longer operates normally without the substance. Abstaining from the drug results in unpleasant physical side effects.
Two important aspects of physical dependency are tolerance and withdrawal. These mechanisms explain why drug users often need increasing amounts of the substance and experience severe symptoms when they stop taking it.
Tolerance
Tolerance develops over time as a person continues to take the drug. The body adapts to the presence of the substance and, as a result, needs to take increasingly greater amounts of the drug to achieve the same effect. This often occurs because the nervous system increases the number of receptor sites for the drug through a process called up-regulation.
Understanding Tolerance
Tolerance is the body's adaptation mechanism. As the nervous system adjusts to the constant presence of the drug through up-regulation (creating more receptor sites), the original dose becomes less effective. This drives users to consume larger quantities to experience the same effects they initially felt.
Withdrawal
Withdrawal is experienced when the person stops taking the drug. These are painful or unpleasant physical symptoms that the drug user experiences as the drug leaves their body or wears off. Symptoms may include vomiting, shaking, headaches or fits. The specific symptoms, the severity of the withdrawal and how quickly they are experienced depend on several factors: the type of drug taken, the frequency of drug use and the quantity of drugs being taken.
Withdrawal Symptoms
Withdrawal can be an extremely challenging experience for drug users attempting to stop. The severity varies significantly based on:
- The type of drug taken
- The frequency of drug use
- The quantity of drugs being taken
These factors determine both the intensity and duration of withdrawal symptoms.
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
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Addiction is a condition where continued substance use interferes with everyday responsibilities, creating both physical and psychological dependency.
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Psychological dependency occurs when individuals believe they cannot function without the drug due to its effects on emotions, thoughts and behaviours.
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Physical dependency develops when the brain adapts to the drug's presence, particularly through changes in dopamine pathways involving the nucleus accumbens and ventral tegmental area.
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Tolerance means the body requires increasingly larger doses of the drug to achieve the same effect, often due to up-regulation of receptor sites.
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Withdrawal produces unpleasant physical symptoms when drug use stops, with severity varying based on drug type, frequency and quantity of use.