Biological Influences on Drug Use
Biological influences on drug use refer to the impact of genetic, neurological, and physiological factors on an individual's susceptibility to drug use and addiction. These influences can include genetic predispositions, brain chemistry, and the body's response to drugs, all of which play a significant role in shaping an individual's likelihood of engaging in drug use and developing substance abuse disorders.
8 Key excerpts on "Biological Influences on Drug Use"
- Philip Murphy, Philip N. Murphy(Authors)
- 2020(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...A considerable overlap with the subject matter of psychopharmacology is to be noted here with regard to pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic processes. As such processes may be regarded in a broad sense as biological, with their consequences for drug action having effects on psychological functioning (i.e. on cognitions and behavioural responses), it is difficult and artificial to separate them from a discussion of a psychobiological perspective on substance use. The term ‘social psychology’ will be used to refer to the study of psychological phenomena in relation to social influences. One commonly accepted definition of social psychology describes it as “the scientific study of the ways that people’s behaviour and mental processes are shaped by the real or imagined presence of others” [ 10 ]. From this perspective, it is these interpersonal influences which contribute to a person’s interpretation of and attribution of meaning to their behaviour. The next section of this chapter outlines some of the basic elements of psychobiological knowledge which may serve as a foundation for examining the relationship of this discipline to other domains which focus on a substance user’s subjective meanings and their interpretation of their own behaviour. Psychobiological processes in substance use and misuse The bioavailability of a drug to the brain is fundamental to its ability to influence cognition, mood, and overt behaviour. From a psychobiological perspective, two important ways in which a consumed drug may influence psychological functioning are through acting in some way on the processes of neurotransmission, and/or changing the structural properties of the brain in a way which has consequences for psychological functioning and overt behaviour...
eBook - ePubDrug Abuse and Antisocial Behavior
A Biosocial Life Course Approach
- Christopher P. Salas-Wright, Michael G. Vaughn, Jennifer M. Reingle González(Authors)
- 2017(Publication Date)
- Palgrave Macmillan(Publisher)
...For instance, we have looked at the ways in which exposure to stressful experiences like child abuse and parental suicidal behavior profoundly increases the likelihood of struggling with an alcohol or drug use disorder later on in life (O’Brien et al. 2015 ; Vaughn et al. 2015b). Similarly, we have looked at the ways in which school-related factors such as motivation and connectedness with teachers, truancy and dropout, and even homeschool status shed light on our understanding of drug abuse during adolescence and beyond (Maynard et al. 2015 ; Reingle Gonzalez et al. 2016 ; Salas-Wright et al. 2015d ; Vaughn et al. 2013, 2015a). We have studied refugees and immigrants across multiple generations to understand how factors like place of birth, culture, and acculturation impact drug use and drug addiction (Salas-Wright et al. 2014, 2015a, b ; Salas-Wright and Vaughn 2014). The list goes on and on as we have observed the manifold ways that social factors of all sorts help us make sense of who is and isn’t at heightened risk of addiction. Beyond the specifics, the takeaway here is that, while neurobiology is indispensable to a state-of-the-art understanding of addiction, there is simply no getting around the fact that drug abuse and addiction are phenomena that are also profoundly social in nature. Above we mentioned that some thinkers would likely suggest we situate our understanding of addicted brains within a broader social context. We should note that such thinking is not unique to ecological-systems theorists, but rather is an assertion that is also made by the leading proponents of the brain disease model of addiction. Leshner (1997) notes quite clearly in his seminal piece on addiction as a brain disease that “Addiction is not just a brain disease. It is a brain disease for which the social contexts in which it has both developed and is expressed are critically important” (p. 46). Similarly, McLellan et al...
- Amy E. Wenzel(Author)
- 2017(Publication Date)
- SAGE Publications, Inc(Publisher)
...Research suggests that half of the vulnerability to drug addiction is determined by genetic factors, whereas the remaining half is due to environmental factors. Epigenetic mechanisms are recently discovered biochemical processes through which the environment interacts with and modifies the expression of an individual’s genes. The result is long-lasting functional changes that contribute to the persistence of drug use disorders. Elizabeth C. Katz and Chris Lewis See also Addictive Disorders: Overview ; Alcohol Use Disorder: Biological Factors ; Biological Constructs: Overview ; Cannabis Use Disorder ; Cocaine Use Disorder ; Drug Use Disorders: Risk for ; Neuroimaging ; Opioid Use Disorder Further Readings Childress, A. R. (2006). What can human brain imaging tell us about vulnerability to addiction and to relapse? In W. R. Miller & K. M. Carroll (Eds.), Rethinking substance abuse: What the science shows, and what we should do about it (pp. 46 – 60). New York, NY : Guilford Press. Hasin, D., Hatzenbuehler, M., & Waxman, R. (2006). Genetics of substance use disorders. In W. R. Miller & K. M. Carroll (Eds.), Rethinking substance abuse: What the science shows, and what we should do about it (pp. 61 – 77). New York, NY : Guilford Press. Kalivas, P. W., & Volkow, N. D. (2005). The neural basis of addiction: A pathology of motivation and choice. American Journal of Psychiatry, 162, 1403 – 1413. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.162.8.1403 Koob, G. F. (2006). The neurobiology of addiction: A hedonic Calvinist view. In W. R. Miller & K. M. Carroll (Eds.), Rethinking substance abuse: What the science shows, and what we should do about it (pp. 25 – 45). New York, NY : Guilford Press. Koob, G. F. (2015). The dark side of emotion: The addiction perspective. European Journal of Pharmacology, 753, 73 – 87. doi: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2014.11.044 Umesh, S., Khess, C. R...
eBook - ePub- British Medical Association(Author)
- 2022(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...These can be split into 2 broad categories — individual influences (personality, genetics, etc) and environmental influences (family, peer pressure, society, etc). 10 One of the major difficulties in identifying the causes of and motives for drug use is that much of the research into influences on drug use has to be — by its very nature — descriptive. Certain personality types, socio-economic situations and family structures are also coexistent with drug use. Whether one can be said to encourage or cause the other, however, remains unresolved. Personality and mental illness One of the longest running debates in the drugs field is whether there is a relationship between an individual’s mental state and drug-taking, and whether the former can be said to cause the latter, the former is the result of the latter, or whether they are simply strongly associated. A recent Dutch study found that 9 in 10 polydrug users undergoing treatment could be ‘dual diagnosed’ for at least 1 personality disorder 11 (‘dual diagnosis’ refers to the coexistence of substance use and 1 or more separate psychiatric disorder). 12 Very little research, however, has been undertaken in the UK on this relationship. One of the few studies carried out, found that 55% of patients admitted to a psychiatric unit in the South-West of England had a history of drug or alcohol dependence and that serious violence was particularly associated with such dependence. 13 Studies have found that schizophrenic patients using drugs have an earlier onset of psychosis 14 and their functioning is better than non-drug using schizophrenics prior to their illness...
eBook - ePubNeurobiology and Mental Health Clinical Practice
New Directions, New Challenges
- Dennis Miehls, Jeffrey Applegate, Dennis Miehls, Jeffrey Applegate(Authors)
- 2017(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...The following findings emerge from these areas of study. HIGHLIGHTS OF NEUROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH Research on Etiology of Addiction G ENETIC STUDIES For centuries, it has been common knowledge that “alcoholism runs in families” (Kalant, 2009, p. 784), leading clinicians and persons with SUD to believe that addiction is genetically based. Indeed, family, twin, and adoption studies show that SUD has high hereditability and that genes play a role in one’s risk for developing addictions (Pihl & Stewart, 2013). Studies estimate that 40% to 60% of an individual’s vulnerability to addiction is due to genetic factors (National Institute of Drug Abuse [NIDA], 2010). However, Pihl and Stewart (2013) argued it is impossible to generalize these genetic findings, because biological markers vary from family to family and there have been hundreds, if not thousands, of genes identified as contributory to addictions, perhaps indirectly. Some of these genes, such as ones related to impulsivity, are evident in a number of other behavioral disorders and are not specific to addiction. Kalant (2009) also underscored that “a gene does not encode a trait,” and genes “are not necessarily continuously active, i.e., they may be switched on (‘expressed’) or off under different circumstances” (p. 785). Clearly, genetic factors are not the sole biological influence on substance use. Once a person begins using alcohol and/or other drugs, these substances affect nearly all brain neurotransmitters in complex ways not fully understood (G. Shean, personal communication, January 28, 2014)...
- Bernard Segal, Bernard Segal(Authors)
- 2022(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...Those who were most deeply involved and, to a degree, who “matured out” of excessive substance abuse tend to become involved in adult roles, particularly marriage or a committed relationship. Marijuana use tends to be seen as incompatible with adult family roles, and thus, in successful marriages, tends to cease around the time of marriage (males) or childbirth (females). In short, drug involvement may predict choices and changes in the psychosocial development of the person, and may change along with such transitions. DRUGS AND DRUG USE It may strike the reader as rather strange that explanations of drug-using behaviour do not refer to the psychoactive properties of these drugs. In all of these models, psychopharmacological factors are implicit or ignored. And yet, it is well-established that chronic and excessive use of a drug can cause changes in physiological systems which mediate drug action, changes in the rate at which the drug is metabolized, and changes in what users experience when the drug is taken and when it is not taken. Current research on neurochemical receptors and endogenous substances which resemble opiate and benzodiazapine drugs suggests that these systems may well be altered by chronic excessive use (Weisz & Thompson, 1983). It must be noted, for example that DSM-III (1980) defines two types of substance use disorders: abuse, defined in terms of adverse consequences over a period of time of continued use, and dependence a more serious disorder defined in terms of tolerance and withdrawal. A recent psychiatric critique suggests merging these two categories, in part because physiological dependence is not equivalent or indicative of the experience of “being dependent,” and does not explain the compulsive character of addictive behaviour (Rounsaville, Spitzer & Williams, 1986)...
eBook - ePubAlcohol, Other Drugs, and Behavior
Psychological Research Perspectives
- John R. Jung(Author)
- 2009(Publication Date)
- SAGE Publications, Inc(Publisher)
...CHAPTER 5 Neurobiology of Alcohol and Other Drug Use What Happens After Drugs Are Taken? How Drugs Affect the Nervous System How Neurons Communicate How Alcohol and Other Drugs Affect Neurotransmission Changes in Neurophysiology With Prolonged Drug Use Neuroadaptational Models Physical Effects of Drugs A Safe Level of Alcohol Use? Summary Stimulus/Response Down among his nerve-cells and fibres the molecules are counting it, registering and storing it up to be used against him when the next temptation comes. —William James, Principles of Psychology (1890), p. 127 P eople get alcohol and other drugs into their bodies through a variety of means. Whereas they swallow or sip alcoholic beverages, they typically smoke tobacco and marijuana, although some may also chew smokeless tobacco. Heroin is typically injected directly into veins while cocaine is commonly snorted, sniffed, or smoked. The specific method by which drugs are consumed is an important determinant of how rapidly specific drugs reach the brain. Eventually, drugs are detoxified by metabolic processes or eliminated from the body as waste material. Pharmacokinetics refers to how drugs enter, circulate, and exit our bodies whereas pharmacodynamics deals with the physiological and biochemical effects of drugs and the mechanisms of action. Irrespective of how drugs enter the body and find their way to the brain, they affect neuro-transmission processes that determine their psychological and behavioral impact. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a basic understanding of the pharmacology and neurophysiology of psychoactive drugs. As we shall see in this chapter, however, these processes are not invariant over time...
eBook - ePubThe Everything Health Guide to Addiction and Recovery
Control your behavior and build a better life
- Linda L Simmons(Author)
- 2008(Publication Date)
- Everything(Publisher)
...At some point, he may have made a choice to try the addictive substance or behavior that he observed. The internal motivation he may have felt to continue using the addictive substance or behavior may have been the approval of the person being imitated, or the numbing of emotional pain, or the stimulation of the pleasure pathway in his brain. All of this may have happened at either a conscious or an unconscious level. Essential Once an individual becomes addicted to substances or behaviors, family attention often shifts from family issues to the addict. It is common for the addicted person to be blamed for family problems at this point. The stress of unresolved family problems can contribute to the development and perpetuation of addictions. Responses such as stimulation of the pleasure pathway serve as positive reinforcement, which keeps the addictive behavior going. Positive reinforcement in this case is when one experiences good feelings such as mellowness, euphoria, relaxation, or a “high” after use of a substance or addictive behavior. Positive reinforcement also occurs when a person experiences acceptance from others who use addictive substances or behaviors. Psychological Factors Remember that it is common for a person to self-medicate to cope with her problems. If someone seeks to find relief from emotional difficulties through substances or compulsive behaviors, she may develop addictions. This is a popular perspective on the cause of addictions. Addictive substances and/or behaviors may be used to relieve one’s stress, to improve one’s mood, and to relieve one’s emotional pain and discomfort. It is currently well known that addictions frequently go hand in hand with mood disorders and other psychological problems...
