CAADE Alcohol & Drug Dependency Education 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which neurotransmitter system is primarily targeted by opioids to produce analgesia and euphoria?
- Dopaminergic system
- Endogenous opioid system (mu receptors) (Correct answer)
- GABAergic system
- Serotonergic system
Correct answer: Endogenous opioid system (mu receptors)
Opioids bind to mu (and other) opioid receptors in the endogenous opioid system to produce pain relief and euphoria.
Question 2: According to the biopsychosocial model of addiction, which of the following best describes the cause of substance use disorders?
- A moral failing and lack of willpower
- Purely genetic predisposition
- An interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors (Correct answer)
- Exclusively a neurological brain disease
Correct answer: An interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors
The biopsychosocial model recognizes that addiction results from the interplay of biological vulnerabilities, psychological factors, and social/environmental influences.
Question 3: A client reports drinking every evening to unwind after work, though it does not yet interfere with job performance. This pattern best describes:
- Alcohol use disorder, severe
- Experimental use
- Habitual or regular use (Correct answer)
- Binge drinking
Correct answer: Habitual or regular use
Daily use for relaxation without significant impairment is characteristic of habitual or regular use, a stage before dependence.
Question 4: Which of the following is a physiological hallmark of alcohol withdrawal that distinguishes it from opioid withdrawal in terms of life-threatening risk?
- Severe muscle cramping
- Risk of seizures and delirium tremens (Correct answer)
- Profuse sweating and yawning
- Pupil dilation and goosebumps
Correct answer: Risk of seizures and delirium tremens
Alcohol withdrawal can cause seizures and delirium tremens (DTs), making it potentially fatal and requiring medical supervision.
Question 5: The term 'enabling' in the context of substance use disorder refers to:
- Teaching coping skills to a person in recovery
- Behaviors by others that shield the user from consequences of use (Correct answer)
- Providing naloxone to someone who uses opioids
- Encouraging a client to seek treatment
Correct answer: Behaviors by others that shield the user from consequences of use
Enabling involves actions by family or friends that inadvertently protect the substance user from experiencing negative consequences, thereby sustaining use.
Question 6: Which motivational interviewing principle involves the counselor reflecting back the client's own statements about change to amplify ambivalence?
- Affirmation
- Developing discrepancy (Correct answer)
- Rolling with resistance
- Supporting self-efficacy
Correct answer: Developing discrepancy
Developing discrepancy means highlighting the gap between the client's current behavior and their stated values or goals to motivate change.
Question 7: A CAADE-certified educator is asked by a client's employer for information about the client's treatment. The educator should:
- Provide the information since the employer is paying for treatment
- Refuse unless a valid signed release of information from the client is obtained (Correct answer)
- Share only general progress notes without identifiers
- Report to the employer since workplace safety is at stake
Correct answer: Refuse unless a valid signed release of information from the client is obtained
Federal 42 CFR Part 2 and HIPAA require a signed, valid release of information before disclosing substance use treatment records to any third party.
CAADE Alcohol & Drug Dependency Education 2
Which neurotransmitter system is primarily targeted by opioids to produce analgesia and euphoria?