Case Study on Addiction - Group 5

Case Study Presentation - Group 5

• The presentation covers a case study on addiction, exploring different biological explanations.
• Addiction is a complex behavior influenced by biological factors such as brain structures, genetic predispositions, evolutionary influences, and social functions.
• The case study, featuring Sarah, focuses on a 32-year-old woman with a decade-long substance abuse problem.
• Sarah initially drank casually but developed a dependency on alcohol and later opioids, which has negatively impacted her family, finances, and relationships.

Different Biological Explanations

• Physiological: Relates to the activity of the brain and other organs.

• Drug use alters neurotransmitters (dopamine and glutamate), impacting mood, motivation, and cognition, and creates a tolerance, needing higher substance consumption to achieve the same effect.

• This impairment of the prefrontal cortex, responsible for impulse control and decision-making, leads to struggles managing cravings and behavior.

• Ontogenetic: Focuses on the influence of genes, nutrition, experience, and their interactions in the development of structure or behavior.

• Sarah's addiction might be attributed to a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental influences.

• Early exposure to alcohol and peer pressure, poor family guidance, and potentially irresponsible behaviors in her life.

• Evolutionary: Examines the evolutionary history of a structure or behavior.

• Psychotropic plants, used for survival by early humans, now are associated with addiction due to the potency exceeding the body's evolutionary adaptations.

• Ancient plants had lower potency and were different from today's potent drugs, making humans more susceptible.

• Functional: Describes why a structure or behavior evolved as it did.

• Substance use can be a coping mechanism for difficult emotions, social pressures, or personal challenges, especially in Sarah's case, with early-adulthood stress.

• Peer influence and self-medication can reinforce and perpetuate the cycle of dependence, while hindering efforts to address underlying struggles.

Key Points

• Drug use alters neurotransmitter functions, resulting in disruptions of mood, motivation, and cognition.
• Addiction cycles include tolerance, cravings, and impaired self-control.
• Prefrontal cortex impairment weakens impulse control and decision-making.
• Genetic factors and negative life experiences can contribute to addictive behaviors, and environmental influences might increase the risk.
• The natural potency of ancient plants was considerably lower than that of modern drugs.
• Substance use, as a coping mechanism, can exacerbate problems, rather than resolve them.

References (Note: This section contains information that's not presented in summary form in the images)

• Several academic sources are present in the slide provided. These include studies on topics relating to addiction, the brain, and neurobiology.

This presentation examines a detailed case study of addiction through the lens of biological explanations. It features the story of Sarah, a 32-year-old woman grappling with substance abuse, highlighting the physiological effects and the influence of brain structures on her behavior. Explore the complex interplay of genetics, evolution, and social factors in addiction.