DRUGS OF ADDICTION

1
DRUGS OF ADDICTION

• Ken Roy, MD
• Addiction Recovery Resources of New Orleans
• Tulane Department of Psychiatry
• River Oaks Hospital
• 504-780-2766
• www.arrno.org

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Why are Drugs Addicting?

• Cause pleasure
• In our pleasure and reward system

3
The Unfortunate Truth

• After tonight you may know more than your doctor
  knows about drugs of addiction
• This is your disease, and your responsibility to
  get and stay well
• Everyone will need medical care in recovery
• You cannot always trust that your doctor knows
  what to do to keep you in recovery

4
Why This is an Easy Study

• We have very few natural neuro-transmitters
  that make us feel good
• All of the plant derived and synthetically
  compounded chemical that fit on the same receptor
  as a natural chemical form a CLASS of addicting
  drugs

5
How Easy It Is

• Only three major Classes
• Sedative Hypnotics
• Stimulants
• Opiates
• And a wastebasket Class
• Hallucinogens
• And NICOTINE

6
Classes

• All drugs in a Class are
• Cross addicting
• Cross tolerant
• Cross relapsing
• Drugs in a Class result in similar
• Intoxication
• Detoxification
• Overdose

7
Sedative Hypnotics GABA

• Alcohol
• Benzodiazepines
• Valium, Ativan, Xanax, Rohypnol, Restoril,
  Klonopin
• Barbiturates
• Good old Barbs Fiorinal, Esgic, etc.
• Other sleepers
• Quaalude, Doriden, Placidyl, Ambien, Lunesta
• Miscellaneous
• GHB, Soma

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Stimulants Dopamine

• Cocaine Crack Cocaine
• Amphetamines
• Good old speed Crystal Crank Ice
• MDA, MDMA, Adderall
• Ritalin, Concerta, Cylert
• Decongestants
• OTC Diet Pills

9
Opiates Endorphins

• Injectable
• Morphine, Heroin, Demerol, Dilaudid, Stadol,
  Nubain
• Oral medications
• 2-4, Vicodin, Lorcet, Lortab, Norco, Percodan,
  OxyContin, MSContin, Ultram, Darvon,
  Buprenorphine
• Methadone

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Hallucinogens Various

• LSD, Psilocybin, Mescaline
• Indirectly affect Dopamine through Serotonin
• Marijuana
• Has its own neurotransmitter - Anandamide
• PCP, Ketamine
• General anesthetics in high doses

11
Nicotine

• Over 400,000 premature deaths per year
• Lots of trouble before that
• Old and aged appearance
• Heart, lung, circulation problems
• SNUS
• A form of smokeless tobacco
• Used in Sweden for 200 years

12
Drugs of Abuse

• Medications
• Benadryl, Elavil, Seroquel, Prednisone
• Inhalants
• Glue, paint, whiteout, toluene, gasoline, N2O
• Caffeine

13
Cross Addiction Between Classes

• Occasionally occurs, based on availability or
  change in preference
• Most often use results in relapse to original
  drug of choice
• Connects through the Locus Ceruleus
• A small area in the brain that produces all of
  the brain adrenalin, or Norepinephrine

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Take Home Messages

• Use of any addicting drug during or before
  recovery produces addict thinking
• Most addicting drugs are prescribed medications
• There is a chance of switching addictions to
  another class
• There is a greater danger of relapse to the
  original drug of choice.

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If You Have to Use

• Have a plan to become abstinent again
• Have a safety net
• Someone who will pull you back, no matter what
• Build your spiritual Bank Account
• By frequent meeting attendance for the
  foreseeable future