Summary: Addiction Counselor Exam Review Podcast Episode 22 Pharmacology Instructor: Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes, PhD Executive Director: AllCEUs.com, Counselor Education and Training Podcast Host: Counselor Toolbox & Addiction Counselor Exam Review AllCEUs offers Addiction Counselor Precertification Training for $149 for 400+ hours of multimedia education. We also are there for you when you need CEUs for as low as $59 for unlimited CEUs. Objectives ~ Review symptoms of intoxication and withdrawal of drugs of abuse ~ Learn about Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) ~ Identify factors that impact symptomatology General ~ Purity of the drug, hydration levels, route of administration and usage patterns all can impact ~ Speed of the effect ~ Intensity of the effect ~ Range and intensity of negative consequences/side effects ~ Injecting can result in blood infections, collapsed veins, kidney and heart problems (Fastest) ~ Inhaling can result in ulcerated nasal passages ~ Oral ingestion must be filtered through the liver and kidneys and often also irritates the GI tract (Slowest) Drugs of Abuse ~ Alcohol ~ Classified as a sedative-hypnotic, CNS depressant ~ Ethanol/Ethyl alcohol 8 stages of effect as BAC increases ~ Subclinical ~ Euphoria ~ Excitement ~ Excitement/confusion ~ Confusion stupor ~ Coma ~ Death Drugs of Abuse ~ Alcohol ~ Men drink more ~ Women more likely to ~ Develop drinking problems ~ Experience alcohol related organ damage at lower levels ~ Women’s BAC reaches higher levels with same amounts of alcohol as men ~ Alcohol mixes with water and men tend to have more body water Drugs of Abuse ~ Alcohol related medical conditions ~ Loss of control of eye muscles ~ Hypoglycemia ~ Gastritis / Pancreatitis ~ Reduced immunity ~ Cardiac arrhythmia ~ Anemia ~ Constant flushing ~ Peripheral neuritis ~ Fatty liver ~ Cirrhosis ~ Blood pressure increases ~ Wernicke/Korsakoff’s syndrome / Alcohol related dementia Drugs of Abuse ~ Cannabis ~ As of 2016, still considered a schedule 1 by the DEA ~ Schedule 1 substances have no medicinal use and high risk of abuse ~ Legal in 29 states for medical use and in 8 of those states for recreational use ~ 9-17% of occasional users become addicted ~ 25-50% of daily users become addicted ~ Methods of administration ~ Smoked (pipes, bongs, blunts, Dabs) – rapid action ~ Consumed (tea, brownies) –slower action ~ Acts on cannabinoid receptors which influence memory, pleasure, concentration, sensory perception Drugs of Abuse ~ Cannabis ~ Dabs ~ Concentrated doses of cannabis that are made by extracting THC and other cannabinoids using a solvent like butane or carbon dioxide, resulting in sticky oils ~ Even when home extraction goes well, there’s no way to know the quality or purity of your finished product. “Dirty” oil may contain chemical contaminants or excessive amounts of residual solvents that could present health hazards ~ Cannabis extracts often test between 60-90% THC, which means it doesn’t take much to become profoundly high ~ Can be inhaled using a dab-pen or a e-cig with attachments ~ Besides coughing like a maniac, the second most common side-effect associated with dabbing is sweating like you ran a marathon Drugs of Abuse ~ Cannabis ~ Effects ~ Respiratory illness ~ Heightened heart attack risk ~ Neurobehavioral effects on fetus ~ Increased depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts, esp. in adolescents ~ Loss of motivation ~ Exacerbation of schizophrenia ~ Impaired judgement ~ Impaired motor coordination ~ Reduced life satisfaction ~ Lower academic/career success Drugs of Abuse ~ Synthetic Marijuana (Spice/K2) ~ Synthetic cannabinoids refer to a growing number of man-made mind-altering chemicals sprayed on dried, shredded plant material or vaporized to get high. ~ Synthetic cannabinoids are sometimes misleadingly called “synthetic marijuana” (or “fake weed”) because they act on the same brain cell receptors as THC ~ The effects of synthetic cannabinoids can be unpredictable a
