Download Module 2: Drug and Alcohol Awareness

Module 2: Drug and Alcohol
Awareness
Objectives
• To recognise own attitudes towards drugs
and alcohol
• To understand the reasons why people
use drugs and alcohol
• To be aware of the legality, effects, routes
of use, and risks of alcohol, cannabis,
cocaine and opiates
Dual Diagnosis Capabilities
• Non-Judgemental Attitude: Be aware of ones
own attitudes and values in relation to dual
diagnosis and be able to suspend judgement
when working with service users, and carers.
Challenge others’ attitudes in an appropriate and
useful manner. Dual Diagnosis Capability 4
level 2
• Education and Health Promotion: Be able to
offer basic but accurate and up to date
information and advice about effects of
substances on mental and physical health and
vice versa. Dual Diagnosis Capability 8 level 2
Substance Use
• Substances that alter level of
consciousness and/or perception
• Levels of use:
– Experimental (occassional- not always safe!)
– Recreational (regular, but within safe limits)
– Bingeing/ dangerous use (high intensity over
short length of time)
– dependence (increased tolerance and
withdrawals if stop)
Exercise 1
Ask yourself these questions:
• What attitudes do I have about people who
use drugs and people who use alcohol?
• Where did these attitudes come from?
(Parents, school, media, religious beliefs
etc)
• How might these attitudes affect how I
work with people with substance use
problems?
Exercise 2: Why Use?
• Why do I (did I) smoke cigarettes; drink
caffeinated drinks e.g. coffee, tea, cola; drink
alcohol? Make a list of the reasons why, the
benefits, and if there are any, some of the less
good aspects of these habits.
• why do people with mental health problems use
drugs and alcohol? Make a list of the reasons
that you are aware of from what service users
have told you, or assumptions that you have
made.
Reasons for use
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
To feel euphoric or feel nothing
To feel more confident
To work longer hours or enhance performance
To belong to a social group (peer pressure)
To kill time (alleviate boredom)
To alleviate physical pain and other health problems
Because it is a habit
To satisfy cravings and avoid withdrawal symptoms
For weight loss
To experience an altered state of consciousness
To unwind after a stressful day
Alcohol
• Alcohol is a widely used, legal
and socially acceptable drug.
• It is taken orally.
• It is a central nervous system
depressant
• Dangerous drug; accidents
whilst intoxicated, overdose
choking on vomit.
• Alcohol related to 40% of
violent offences;44 per cent for
domestic violence and 53 per
cent for violence committed
against a stranger [British
Crime Survey, 2000].
Alcohol 2
• Safe levels <3 units per day
• Males up to 21 units/week; females up to 14 units/week
• Unit = volume x ABV/1000 (250mls wine
13%ABV/1000=3.25 units
• Physical dependency- ↑tolerance and withdrawals
• Signs of withdrawal: nausea, vomiting, sweating, high
temperature, hypertension, anxiety, sleeplessness,
restlessness, and sometimes hallucinations, epileptic
fits.
• Withdrawals need immediate medical attention and
treatment as can be life-threatening.
• Never advise abrupt cessation of heavy drinking without
treatment!!
Cannabis
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cannabis is a sedative and hallucinogenic drug produced from the leaves
and buds of the cannabis sativa plant.
Most commonly used illegal drug.
Cannabis is an illegal substance under class B of the misuse of Drugs Act.
dried leaves or black/brown block of resin
Cannabis leaves or resin are smoked (roll-up with tobacco or in a bong)
Signs of Use: reddened eyes, dilated pupils, increased pulse rate,
drowsiness, giggling, and a sweet herbal smell.
Effects: relaxation, increased senses, slowing of thoughts, time seems to
pass more slowly, sometimes mild hallucinogenic effects.
Risks: mouth and lung cancer, exacerbate other lung conditions, increases
likelihood of psychosis, road traffic accidents whilst driving under the
influence.
Cocaine and Crack Cocaine
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Stimulant drugs
Legality- class A drugs
What do they look like: cocaine is a white crystalline powder, and crack is white or
off-white crystalline rocks
How taken: Cocaine may be taken orally, snorted, inhaled, or injected. Crack:
inhaled from a pipe, but sometimes injected.
Effects: Cocaine, in both forms, increases heart rate, breathing, blood pressure,
thoughts and activity levels. It also lifts mood and gives a sense of energy and
wellbeing.
Signs of use: dilated pupils, dry mouth, elevated body temperature, teeth grinding,
agitation, restlessness, excitability, pressure of speech, flight of ideas, weight loss
(appetite suppressant).
Risks: paranoia, confusion, and disorganized patterns of behaviour. The “come
down” period causes fatigue, and depressed mood. Heart attacks, hgh blood
pressure, stroke, and kidney damage
Opiates
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Derived from the opium poppy.
They include heroin, morphine, methadone and codeine.
Central nervous system depressants
Legality: these are class A drugs
What they look like: heroin is a pale brown powder;
also available in pharmaceutically manufactured form
such as tablets, green or blue syrup (methadone) and
glass ampoules (for injection)
How used: mainly smoked or injected, some opiates are
available in tablet and suppository form.
Signs of use: pallor, pinprick pupils “pinned”,
sedation/drowsiness (“gouching out”), signs of injecting
on body
Effects: people feel emotionally numb, warm and
drowsy, with an initial intense rush, especially if injected
intravenously.
Withdrawals: gooseflesh, shivering, profuse sweating,
feeling feverish, aching limbs, yawning, runny eyes,
runny nose, gastrointestinal disturbances such as
stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Risks: overdose, injecting related problems, BBVs,
accidents
Other Drugs: solvents, ecstasy,
LSD, amphetamines
Other Drugs
•
Hallucinogens: LSD, magic mushrooms
– Distort perceptions for several hours
– “psychotic” trip
– Can be terrifying “bad trip”
•
Ecstasy
–
–
–
–
•
Stimulant and mildly hallucinogenic
Feelings of empathy, energy
Depression and short term memory problems
Death as a result of kidney failure
Amphetamines
– Effects like cocaine
– Paranoia and aggression
•
Solvents and gases
– Sniffed, inhaled
– Intoxication
– Risk of instant death, brain damage, accidents
•
Caffeine– “Red Bull”; coffee; cola drinks
– Stimulants, irritability, aggression, paranoia
•
•
OTC- over the counter (cough linctus, anti-histamines etc)
Prescription drugs- benzodiazepines, anti-cholinergics