Foundations of Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders Flashcards
7 cards from real CASAC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Foundations of Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders flashcards as text
Which of the following substances produces withdrawal symptoms that can be life-threatening without medical supervision?
Answer: Alcohol
Alcohol withdrawal can cause seizures, delirium tremens, and death, making it one of the few substance withdrawals requiring medical management.
The biopsychosocial model of substance use disorders recognizes that addiction is caused by:
Answer: An interaction among biological, psychological, and social factors
The biopsychosocial model integrates biological (genetics, neurobiology), psychological (mental health, coping), and social (family, culture, environment) factors in understanding addiction.
A CASAC counselor is reviewing a client's history and notes that the client's parent and grandparent both had alcohol use disorder. This most strongly suggests the role of:
Answer: Genetic heritability as a risk factor
Family history across multiple generations indicates a genetic heritability component; research shows alcohol use disorder has approximately 50% heritability.
Stimulant drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine primarily exert their effects by:
Answer: Increasing dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin in the synapse
Stimulants work by blocking reuptake transporters and/or triggering release of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, producing euphoria and increased energy.
Which of the following best illustrates negative reinforcement as a factor maintaining substance use?
Answer: A person uses opioids to eliminate painful withdrawal symptoms
Negative reinforcement involves removing an aversive stimulus (withdrawal pain) through substance use, which strengthens the behavior of using the substance.
According to the ASAM definition, which of the following is NOT one of the four Cs characterizing addiction?
Answer: Chronicity
ASAM's four Cs of addiction are Craving, loss of Control, Compulsive use, and Continued use despite Consequences; 'Chronicity' describes the nature of the disease, not one of the four Cs.
A client who began drinking at age 14 is at greater risk for developing alcohol use disorder compared to someone who began at age 21. This illustrates which risk factor?
Answer: Age of onset as a developmental risk factor
Research consistently shows that earlier age of first use is a strong predictor of developing substance use disorder, likely due to effects on the still-developing adolescent brain.