PSYC414 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Opioid Receptor, Alcohol Dehydrogenase, Nmda Receptor

• School: University of Delaware
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC414
• Professor: Jeffery Rosen

Document Summary

Da increases while on alcohol, decreases when off. Da decreases in withdrawal: dysphoria, leading people to take alcohol again / relieve. Alcohol increases opiate activity/system: treatment for alcohol naltrexone (antagonist of opiate receptor, decreases alcohol use. I environmental component, social drinkers, escaping stressors, self medicating, sedative. Sensitive to alcohol drink a little stays in longer/gets in faster: low levels of alcohol dehydrogenase (genetics) Psychosocial: therapy, aa (talk about the stress/problems they have, etc. psychological, hard to tell how effective; voluntary; longest treatment, residential alcohol-free treatment settings/halfway house. The first hurdle is denial- alcoholics often fail to recognize that alcohol is the source of their problems and not the cure. Family and friends may act as enablers- repairing the damage caused by the drinker and making excuses for his behavior. Detoxification- benzodiazepines such as chlordiazepoxide (librium) or diazepam (valium) are given to prevent alcohol withdrawal symptoms: act on the same receptors (cross tolerance, symptoms- seizures, shakes, feeling bad, etc.