HLTHAGE 2L03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Alcoholic Liver Disease, Substance Abuse, American Psychiatric Association

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Health, Aging and Society
• Course: HLTHAGE 2L03
• Professor: Mat Savelli

Document Summary

2l03: o(cid:272)iet(cid:455) a(cid:374)d it"s addi(cid:272)tio(cid:374)s lecture 1: introduction to addiction. How do we define addiction: a am: (cid:862)addi(cid:272)tio(cid:374) is a p(cid:396)i(cid:373)a(cid:396)(cid:455), (cid:272)h(cid:396)o(cid:374)i(cid:272) disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. It is considered a brain disease because drugs change the brain they change its structure and how it works. Common elements in explaining addiction: compulsion: resisting use almost impossible, produces extraordinary anxiety, craving: desire transcends psychological realm, feels almost physical. Addiction as vice: addiction represents a moral failing, bad people who make bad choices challenge our expectations of what it means to be good, excessive substance use as either irresponsible or evil. Addiction as disease: excessive consumption or behaviours the result of underlying disease, a biological process, use of drugs thus a symptom. E(cid:448)olutio(cid:374)a(cid:396)(cid:455) theo(cid:396)ists posit that (cid:396)e(cid:449)a(cid:396)d path(cid:449)a(cid:455) developed to encourage behaviours (eating, sex) that led to survival. Just (cid:449)ithd(cid:396)a(cid:449)al does(cid:374)"t (cid:374)e(cid:272)essa(cid:396)il(cid:455) (cid:373)ea(cid:374) the(cid:455) (cid:449)e(cid:396)e addi(cid:272)ted(cid:895)