Substance abuse definition

Lifetime prevalence rates of psychiatric comorbidity co-existing with bipolar disorder are 42% to 50%.16 Comorbidities, especially substance abuse, make it difficult to establish a definitive diagnosis and complicate treatment. Comorbidities also place the patient at risk for a poorer outcome, high rates of suicidal-ity, and onset of depression.2 Psychiatric comorbidities include ... 

Dopamine-Stimulating Medications. A variety of drugs that increase the availability of dopamine have been studied in cocaine addicts including L-DOPA, bupropion, amantadine, and methylphenidate. In small uncontrolled trials, these have shown some benefit, but definitive studies have yet to be performed. In addition, some dopamine-stimulating medications (in particular, the stimulants like methylphenidate or the amphetamines) are themselves subject to abuse, though, of note, this is typically not a problem when they are prescribed to patients who do not have a history of substance abuse such as, for example, in the treatment of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. 

None of these definitions is ideal. Patients may be hospitalized for a suicide gesture or a co-morbid condition such as a severe personality disorder or substance abuse rather than solely on the basis of their depression severity. A score of 25 or higher on the 17-item HDRS is the most commonly used cutoff to distinguish nonsevere from severe depression. This approach, however, is subject to the possibility of inflation of scores to qualify patients for the trial. 

It is difficult to obtain marijuana-specific data from DAWN information, since up to four different substances can be recorded for each ED episode. And because a drug-related visit to an ED can have multiple drug mentions, not every reported substance may be, by itself, the cause of the medical emergency. Until DAWN data can provide more marijuana-specific information, many feel that policymakers cannot draw definitive conclusions about the consequences of marijuana use from these reports. DAWN researchers acknowledge this limitation of their data. DAWN, like NHSDA, is directed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 

Most people agree that prevention efforts should—indeed must—be an important component of any comprehensive approach to treating substance abuse. In this chapter we first provide an overview of definitions of prevention. The major models of prevention and their implications are then di.scus.sed. We also provide examples of several types of prevention projects and their outcomes. The chapter closes with some comments on the prospects for future work in prevention. 

Another definition of substance abuse is, in fact, exactly that when loss of responsible self-control occurs as a func-... 

Codependency describes what happens to the conduct of communication, the definition of roles, and the interactions between family members when the dominant power in the family becomes the substance abuser or addict. When it is the child who has fallen victim to substances, parents increasingly depend their decisions, for how to feel, what to think, and what to do, on the child s self-destructive behavior. In consequence, parents experience at least three harmful effects. 

For parents, the point of this conflict with their child is to resolve an issue by agreeing on a definition of what is or is not going to happen. For the young substance abuser, evasion and distraction are tactics commonly used to keep parents from reaching this definition point they seek. Consider the following dialogue as an illustration. 

Additionally, chronic drug use has been linked to neuropsychological problems that in turn make it harder to stop the cycle of abuse. Psychoactive drugs by definition affect the brain, and long-term or acute exposure to psychoactive substances can be toxic. Furthermore, we know that drug abuse can increase the risks of stroke, brain injury related to accidents, malnutrition, or liver damage, all of which can adversely affect brain function as well. 

The World Health Organizahon adopts the definition of the United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Drugs (1971). Drug abuse means the use of psychotropic substances in a way that woidd constitute a public health and social problem. ... 

Clinical chemists and toxicologists should be aware that the detection of volatile substances in blood does not always indicate inhalant abuse or occupational exposure. Acetone and other volatile compounds may be found in ketoacidotic patients and some inborn errors of metabolism result in the accumulation of volatile compounds. Even though many studies and case reports have included concentrations of volatile substances in blood, definitive correlations between these blood concentrations and the clinical features of toxicity have not been demonstrated for any of these compounds. 

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