Biological Basis of Addiction

Christine Foster, LMSWChildren’s Therapist

Effects of Substance Abuse: Conception – Age 11

Photo courtesy of Sterling Clarren, MD – Brain at 6 wks

Faces in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

What we see What we think What may be really going on

What we can do

► Doesn’t follow rules

▪Noncompliance▪Attention Seeking▪Stubborn▪Purposeful

●Difficulty translating verbal directions into action●Cognitive deficit

♦Check for understanding♦Repeat instructions♦Simplify tasks

► Repeatedly makes the same mistakes

▪Manipulative▪Doing it on purpose▪Willful

●Not able to link cause and effect●Difficulty generalizing

♦Provide assistance with organization♦Structure choices

► Poor social judgment

▪Attention Seeking▪Poorly parented▪Impulsive

●Not able to interpret social cues●Desire to be liked

♦Role play♦Identify safe external support/s♦Safety planning

►Easily agitated ▪Poor self control▪Deviant

●Frustrated●Disappointed●Mental health issue

♦Teach self advocacy♦Identify and practice copingtechniques

Texas Office for Prevention of Developmental Disabilities

Don’t TalkDon’t TrustDon’t DealDon’t Feel

How do people get better from alcohol and drugs?

Effects of Substance Abuse: Ages 12-25

Apoptosis = Pruning200 billion to 100 billion

HYPOFRONTALITY:when Dopamine spikes the cortex actually shuts off

How dodrugs & alcohol effect the brain during the

pruning process?

Limbic SystemFight or FlightPleasurable Experiences: Dopamine

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Food

Sex

Cocaine

Meth

100%150%

350%1100%

Dopamine Release

If you arrest here but stop using here

Age 12

Arrested Development Effects

Stuck in psychosocial stage of development

10% Decrease in Hippocampus functioning (converts information to memory)

Increased social disinhibition Risky, impulsive behavior Poor planning &

judgment Little ability to weigh

consequences

Developmental Age of Parents

Parents with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Teen Parents

Parents with Arrested Development

Practical Applications

• Connect Client to Appropriate Service– Parent Coaching, Individual Therapy, In or

Outpatient Treatment,12-step, ACA, Alanon• Connect Child to Appropriate Service– Play Therapy, High Risk Classes, Individual or

Family Therapy• Teach Parents Executive Functioning Skills• Teach Parents To Teach Executive Functioning

Skills

Tools for Working with Families

• Play: A child’s work• Patterned, Repetitive, Predictable &

Rhythmic• Praise Executive Functioning in Parents• Teach Parents What To Say During Family

Dinners• Behavior Modification Contracts

Dopamine-Releasing Chemicals

• Alcohol & Sedative/Hypnotics

• Opiates/Opioids• Cocaine• Amphetamines• Entactogens (MDMA)• Entheogens/

Hallucinogens• Dissociants (PCP,

Ketamine)• Cannabinoids• Inhalants• Nicotine• Caffeine• Anabolic-Androgenic

Steroids

Prefrontal Cortex Thinking: Executive Functioning

1. Abstract; conceptual understanding2. Impulse Control3. Problem-Solving4. Decision-Making5. Judgment6. Emotion Regulation/Frustration Tolerance7. Ability to Feel Empathy

References•Califano Jr., Joseph (2009),How to Raise a Drug-Free Kid, The Straight Dope for Parents.•Giedd. J. N. (2004).Structural magnetic resonance imaging of the adolescent brain. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1021, 77-85.•Spear, L. P. (2002). Alcohol’s effects on adolescents. Alcohol Health and Research World, 26 (4), 287-291.Suggested Reading•Dahl, R.E. & Spear, L.P. (Eds.) (2004). Adolescent brain development: vulnerabilities and opportunities. New York: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, Volume 1021. •Dubuc, B. (n.d.).The brain from top to bottom. McGill University web site:•http://www.thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/index_d.html•http://www.childtraumaacademy.com/amazing_brain/index.html•http://fasdcenter.samhsa.gov•http://nofas.org•Landreth, G. (2002). Play Therapy: The Art of the Relationship. Brunner Routledge.•Nestler, E. J., & Malenka, R. C. (2004, March). The addicted brain. Scientific American, 290 (3), 78-85.•Underwood, N. (2009). The teenage brain: Why adolescents sleep in, take risks, and won’t listen to reason. The Walrus Magazine.•Wallis, C. (2004, May 10). What makes teens tick? Time, 163, 57-65.•Walsh, D. (2004). Why do they act that way? A survival guide to the adolescent brain for you and your teen. New York: Free Press.