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Home : Other Subjects : Psychology Study Guides : 101 : Psychological Disorders : Substance-Related Disorders
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Substance-Related Disorders
The DSM describes many substance-related disorders, which
occur when a person is intoxicated by, withdrawing from, using, abusing, or
dependent on one or more drugs. Two common types of substance-related disorders are
substance abuse and substance dependence.
Substance Abuse
The DSM defines substance abuse as a
maladaptive pattern of drug use that results in repeated negative consequences
such as legal, social, work-related, or school-related problems. A drug abuser
may even use drugs in situations in which it is physically dangerous to do so.
Substance Dependence
Substance dependence, or drug addiction, involves continuing
to use a drug despite persistent physical or psychological costs. A person who
is addicted to drugs may make several unsuccessful attempts to give up the drug
and may even develop tolerance for the drug. Tolerance is the
gradual need for more and more of the drug to get the same effect. The person
may also experience withdrawal symptoms such as sweating, nausea,
muscle pain, shakiness, and irritability when he or she stops taking the
drug.
Etiology of Substance-Dependence
Many researchers believe biology and environment interact to produce
substance dependence.
Biological Influences
Several lines of research have examined genetic predispositions to
drug dependence. Researchers think there may be a genetic predisposition to
one particular type of alcoholism: the type that begins in adolescence and
that is associated with impulsive, antisocial, and criminal behavior. With
other types of alcoholism, many genes may interact to play a role.
Genes may influence traits such as impulsivity, which can make a
person more likely to become alcoholic. Genes may also influence the level
of dopamine in the brain. Researchers have suggested that high dopamine
levels may in turn influence the susceptibility to alcoholism.
Just as biological factors may make a person susceptible to
dependence, heavy use of drugs can affect a person’s biological makeup. For
example, excessive drug use can reduce the number of dopamine receptors in
the brain. Since dopamine is involved in feeling pleasure, the reduced
number of receptors can then make a person dependent on the drug. The person
will crave more of the drug in order to feel the same amount of pleasure.
Environmental Influences
Research findings suggest that certain environmental factors play a
key role in substance dependence:
- Cultural norms: The pattern of drug dependence varies according to cultural norms. For example, alcohol dependence is rarer in countries where children learn to drink responsibly and in moderation and where excessive drinking by adults is considered improper. Alcohol dependence is more common in societies that condone adult drunkenness and forbid children to drink.
- Social policy: Governmental policies that totally prohibit alcohol consumption tend to increase rates of alcohol dependence.
- Variation in symptoms: The existence of withdrawal symptoms after discontinuing a drug depends on many factors, including a person’s expectations and context. This suggests that dependence is not just a biological phenomenon.
- Reasons for drug use: A person’s tendency toward drug addiction depends not only on the properties of the drug but also on the reasons a person uses the drug. For example, people who receive prescription narcotics in hospitals for postsurgical pain may not become addicted, while others who use narcotics to escape stress may become addicted.
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