Download A drugs campaign that has effected me.

Drug treatments for
heroin dependence
Heroin dependence
Heroin is a highly addictive drug; the reason for this is because it
acts upon the reward pathway in the brain
When it has entered the body, Heroin goes through the walls of
the alveoli in the lungs, and is absorbed into the bloodstream
The heroin travels to the brain, where it mimics endorphin (a
natural opiate)
Normally, endorphin is released which releases dopamine to
facilitate the reward pathway in the brain
Heroin mimics endorphin and floods the endorphin receptors,
increasing the amount of dopamine rapidly; this causes a feeling
of well being and neutral emotion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fySL2OkO33s
Drug treatment for heroin
dependence
• Medications which have been approved for the treatment of
heroin addiction work through the same opioid receptors in
the brain that heroin works on, but are safer
• Pharmacological treatments (to tackle physical
dependence)are combined with psychological therapy (to
tackle psychological dependence)in order to provide a
comprehensive programme of treatment for heroin
dependent individuals
Drug treatment for heroin
dependence ...
• Because heroin actually changes the brain’s
chemistry, this needs to be re-balanced before
psychological therapy can be effective; the
dependent individual has to go through a
process of detoxification
• The aim of treatment is firstly to stabilise the
drug use, minimise harm and then work towards
abstinence
Drug treatment for heroin
dependence ...
• These are categorised into three types:
• Agonist – these activate opioid receptors
• Partial agonist – these also activate opioid receptors
but produce a lesser response
• Antagonists – these block the receptor and
therefore the rewarding effects of opioid
• Drugs used to treat heroin dependence are:
methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone
Methadone ...
(Dolophine or Methadose)
... is a synthetic opiate which works at the synapse as a
substitute for heroin; it is an opioid agonist which is
taken orally and is therefore slow-acting
It works by dampening the ‘high’ that heroin users
experience, while at the same time preventing
withdrawal symptoms
Methadone is dispensed to patients on a daily basis
through approved outpatient treatment programmes;
it is taken under supervision at first, until the patient
can be trusted to take it at home. This is the oldest of
the pharmacological treatments for heroin addiction
Detoxification ...
• This is when the individual gets a medical check
every 3 months to monitor their progress and to
ensure they haven't taken any Heroin
• The methadone levels are slowly reduced, until
the individual feels they are ready to complete
their treatment by coming off the medication
completely
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfaFGKFOlYo
Buprenorphine ...
(Subutex/suboxone)
• ... is a partial opioid agonist, which works by
relieving the craving for heroin without the ‘high’ or
dangerous side effects of opioids
• Suboxone also contains a substance called naloxone
– this medication is taken orally or sublingually. It is
designed to prevent attempts by users to get high
by injecting the drug (if Suboxone is injected, it
produces withdrawal symptoms the user does not
experience if they take the medication orally as
prescribed)
• Subutex is given during the first few days of
treatment, while Suboxone is used during the
maintenance phase of treatment
Naltrexone ...
(Depade/Revia)
• ...is an opioid antagonist which acts by blocking
opioid receptors in the brain and nervous system;
this means that users will no longer experience the
euphoria-like effects of opiates, and this will help
them to stay drug-free
• Users are prescribed naltrexone if they have been
through an opiate detoxification regime, as it
decreases the desire to take opiates
• Naltrexone does not help someone stop doing
drugs, it is used to help people who have already
stopped to maintain abstinence
Evaluation – strengths/limitations of
drug treatments ...
Strengths
• Enables addicts to break
links with dealers
decreasing pressure to take
Heroin
• It is difficult to overdose, so
safer to use than other
opiates
• There is no danger of
infection when
administered, as it is taken
orally
Limitations
• Many addicts continue to
rely on Methadone, and so
never try to detox
• Methadone withdrawal
takes longer than Heroin
and lasts a month
• Some Methadone ends up
in the illegal drugs market,
once it has been taken for
home-administration,
which completely defeats
the object of the treatment
Nicotine Addiction
Nicotine is a substance in Tobacco which is
highly addictive. It stimulates
acetylchloline(Ach) synapses in the brain.
Ach is associated with learning and thinking,
which explains the alertness and ability to
react which smokers report.
When these synapses are activated, the
dopamine reward pathway is also activated.
This triggers the production of endorphins,
which cause the feeling of well-being and
calmness.
Nicotine enters the blood system within 7-20
seconds of entering the body, which explains
why its effects are felt so instantaneously.
Another effect of nicotine is that it triggers the
production of glucose and adrenalin. With
glucose raising the blood sugar level and
adrenalin causing increased alertness.
Effects of smoking on your body
The Doctors Explain How Smoking Affects
Your Body....
http://www.youtube.com/watc
h?v=SwYEFuGKP4&feature=related
Nicotine addiction treatment
“How you can benefit from quitting smoking program” by a
doctor himself.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErTyRkziXF
g&feature=related
Treating nicotine addiction with hypnotherapy
A hypnotic state is known the be very relaxed and is
induced by a qualified therapist.
Ideas are slowly put into the unconscious mind, which
continues to influence behaviour once full consciousness
is restored.
THEY ARE NOT PUT TO SLEEP, but rather made to focus
on the hypnotist and exclude any irrelevant information.
It is referred to as an altered state of consciousness
rather than a lack of consciousness.
The main objective is to implant the idea that the person
does not want to smoke and to relate the thought of
smoking to unpleasant thought. The sessions usually last
between one and two hours.
What are the pro’s and cons?
Advantages
disadvantages
• If it works, it is very cost effective
compared with other
intervention programmes as just
one treatment is needed.
• Spiegal et al (1993) found it was
better than unsupported
attempts to quit.
• There are no side effects of a
hypnotherapy session.
• There is a great deal of variability
on how easy it is to hypnotise
somebody, for example it is
harder to do if the person is not
relaxed.
• It will only work if the client has
BELIEF that it will work for them.
• A meta-anaylsis by Green and
Lynn (2000)- 59 studies, and none
were found to be more effective
than any other therapy.
A drugs campaign that has effected
me.
• This advert has effected me hugely. As
being a new driver and also with my
birthday approaching, it reinforced to
me the importance of not drinking and
driving. The people who are stupid
enough to do this, don't just effect
themselves but will effect everyone
around them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymiFokrdMg