Module 4

Module 4
Avoiding Risks and Harmful Habits
➢ Characteristics of health compromising behaviors
➢ Recognition and avoiding of Addictions
➢ How addiction develops
➢ Types of addictions
➢ Influencing factors of addictions
➢ Differences between addictive people and non addictive people and
their behaviors
➢ Effects and health hazards of addictions
➢ How to recover from addictions
 Health compromising behaviours

Behaviour is defined as:

➢“anything that an organism does involving action and response to
stimulation”
➢“the response of an individual, group, or species to its environment”

Health compromising behaviours:

➢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
Characteristics of health compromising behaviours
➢They produce pleasurable effects
➢sensory pleasure – alliesthesia
(external stimulus perceived as pleasant if it maintains or improves
internal homeostasis, perceived as unpleasant if threatens internal
homeostasis)
➢Thrill-seeking - Risk-taking behaviour.
➢ Acquired gradually over time: degree of engagement &
experimentation
➢Developmental state seen as window of vulnerability
➢Problematic family relationships.
Managing health compromising behaviours by

➢Stress reduction
➢coping mechanisms
➢avoidance
➢negative reinforcement
 Recognition and avoiding of addictions

➢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 and
increases the urge to consume more and more of the substance in
order to achieve the same rewarding effect.
 Recognising and avoiding addictions
➢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.
How addiction develops - 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 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
➢Alcoholism/Tobacco
➢Gambling and sex
➢Drugs-Opium, Marijuana, Cocaine, Cannabis
➢Internet/browsing addiction
➢Cell phone addiction
➢Video gaming
➢Pornography
➢Sedatives/Anxiolytics/inhalants
➢Hyper obesity/Morbid obesity
 Influencing factors of addictions
➢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)
➢environmental 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!
Influencing factors of addictions
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
 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.
 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.
➢ Making certain that you maintain a supply of the drug Spending money on the drug, even though you
can’t afford it.
➢ 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.
 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 and judgment.
➢This can lead to dramatic increase 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
➢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.
➢Driving or 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 and their behavior with society
Effects and health hazards from addictions

➢Effects on body systems: lungs, cardiovascular, digestive and renal

impairments such as cancer, strokes, Hep B and C, fetal alcohol
syndrome etc
➢Mental health issues like anxiety, depression, schizophrenia,
cognitive dysfunction, personality disorders etc
➢Social health issues like social stigma, disrupted families, anti social
behaviours, increased crime rates and law and order problems
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
Treating Substance Use Disorders (SUDs)
➢The first step is recognition of the problem
➢A formal assessment of symptoms by 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.
➢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 increase 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
1. Addiction is a complex, but treatable, disease that affects brain
function and behavior
2. No single treatment is appropriate for everyone
3. Treatment needs to be readily available
4. Effective treatment attends to multiple needs of the individual, not
just his or her drug abuse
5. Remaining in treatment for an adequate period of time is critical
6. Counselling: individual and/or group —and other behavioral
therapies are the most commonly used forms of drug abuse
treatment.
7. Medications are important elements of treatment for many patients
especially when combined with counselling and other behavioural
therapies
8. Individual’s treatment and services plan must be assessed continually
and modified as necessary to ensure it meets his or her changing needs
9. Many drug-addicted individuals also have other mental disorders
10. Medically assisted detox is only the first stage of treatment and does
little to change long term drug abuse
11. Treatment does not need to be voluntary to be effective
12. Drug use during treatment must be monitored continuously as lapses
during treatment occur
13. Treatment programs should assess patients for presence of HIV/AIDS,
Hep B and C, TB or other infectious diseases and provide targeted risk
reduction counselling to help patients modify or change behaviours that
place them at the risk of contracting or spreading infectious diseases