CDCA Substance Use Disorder & Recovery Knowledge 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following withdrawal syndromes can be directly life-threatening without medical intervention?
- Opioid withdrawal
- Cannabis withdrawal
- Alcohol withdrawal (Correct answer)
- Cocaine withdrawal
Correct answer: Alcohol withdrawal
Alcohol withdrawal can progress to delirium tremens, seizures, and death, making it one of the few withdrawal syndromes that is potentially lethal.
Question 2: A client describes using larger amounts of cocaine over time to achieve the same high. This phenomenon is best described as:
- Dependence
- Sensitization
- Tolerance (Correct answer)
- Craving
Correct answer: Tolerance
Tolerance is the need for increasing amounts of a substance to achieve the same effect previously produced by a smaller dose.
Question 3: The concept of 'enablement' in substance use disorder refers to:
- Empowering a client to seek treatment
- Family behaviors that inadvertently support continued substance use (Correct answer)
- A therapist providing skills for recovery
- Legal permissions for medication-assisted treatment
Correct answer: Family behaviors that inadvertently support continued substance use
Enabling behaviors by family or friends (e.g., covering for consequences) unintentionally reduce the client's motivation to change and support continued use.
Question 4: Which of the following is an evidence-based pharmacotherapy approved for alcohol use disorder in the United States?
- Buprenorphine
- Naltrexone (Correct answer)
- Methadone
- Clonidine
Correct answer: Naltrexone
Naltrexone (oral and injectable) is FDA-approved for alcohol use disorder by blocking opioid receptors and reducing alcohol's rewarding effects.
Question 5: Which term describes the phenomenon where a person who has been abstinent returns to using a substance and quickly reaches the same level of use they had prior to abstinence?
- Relapse escalation
- Rapid re-addiction
- Loss of control
- Reinstatement (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Reinstatement
Reinstatement (or rapid re-escalation) refers to the quick return to prior patterns of use following a period of abstinence, often explained by conditioned learning.
Question 6: In the context of substance use disorders, what is 'protracted withdrawal'?
- A withdrawal that requires hospitalization for more than 14 days
- Persistent, low-level withdrawal symptoms lasting weeks to months after acute withdrawal (Correct answer)
- Withdrawal symptoms that worsen over several weeks
- A relapse that occurs during the withdrawal period
Correct answer: Persistent, low-level withdrawal symptoms lasting weeks to months after acute withdrawal
Protracted withdrawal (also called Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome or PAWS) involves lingering symptoms like mood instability and sleep disruption long after acute withdrawal resolves.
Question 7: A client in recovery reports that passing by a bar triggers intense cravings for alcohol. This is best explained by:
- Psychological dependence theory
- Classical conditioning and environmental cues (Correct answer)
- Operant conditioning and positive reinforcement
- Social learning theory
Correct answer: Classical conditioning and environmental cues
Environmental cues (people, places, things) become conditioned stimuli through classical conditioning, triggering cravings in recovery.
CDCA Substance Use Disorder & Recovery Knowledge 3
Which of the following withdrawal syndromes can be directly life-threatening without medical intervention?