Heroin History of the 'Heroin Overdose'

[aebtheghost]

cool

 

[EmuBitter]

It's part of a list that was out of my Psychology of the Abnormal textbook.

my addiction studies text book gives this as an interesting list for drug dependence

Percentage of users who develop dependence (according to dependence described by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders, criteria)

Tobacco 31.9%
Heroin 23.1%
Cocaine 16.7%
Alcohol 15.4%
stimuants other than cocaine 11.2%
cannabis 9.1%

 

[Cane2theLeft]

^can you clarify that? ...is that for every person who uses that drug? If so, the data Stanton Peele quotes disputes those numbers.

Also, how is dependence defined?

 

[EmuBitter]

sure man, my txt book says that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM) is a widely accepted definition of drug dependance syndrome. And i assume those figures are for all users.

my opinion and the texts opionion is that dependence is often described differently by different sources and interchanged with other words like addiction. Like many things in science the definitions are arbitrary, but youve gotta start somewhere.

To meet the DSM's definition of drug dependence a person must experience three or more of the following in any twelve-month period.

1.tolerance; basically more drugs needed to acheive desired effect, diminished effect from same amount of drug.

2. Withdrawal; characteristic withdrawal syndrome of a drug, or/and another drug is taken to releive or avoid withdrawal

3.substance is taken in larger amounts for longer than was intended

4.persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control use

5.important social, occupational or recriational activities are given up or reduced because of substance use

6.the substance use is continued despite knowledge of persistent or recurrent physical problems that are likely caused or exacerbated by the substance

 

[EmuBitter]

what does stanton peele say? and what is his definition?

 

[Cane2theLeft]

I was less interested in the definition of dependence than the percentages, are they seriously saying 1 in 4 who use heroin once become dependent and 1 in 6 for alcohol or cocaine?

I don't have time to find the exact quotes at the moment, but in Stanton Peele's Meaning of Addiction (the chapter of which I *believe* was co-written with Bruce K. Alexander of the rat park studies, but not certain) put the figure of people who try cocaine at least once and become addicted closer to 1% than 16... and that wasn't his work, this is from quite a selection of studies he cited. IIRC even people who used cocaine substantially more than once, were less likely to meet DSM criteria for dependence than the levels your text quoted.

I would be very interested to see the source your book quoted for those numbers if you don't mind because I'd love to find the parameters and look at the data if I can find it.

People on BL commonly believe that THAT high of a percentage do become dependent/addicted but I think its due to the circles they run in and the people they talk to online.

I'll try to find quotes when I have time, hopefully later today... and I REALLY appreciate your thorough responses!

Are you going into drug counseling, taking that course for another program or just out of interest? I'm working on certification for drug and alcohol counseling right now.

 

[kroozer_*]

Currently i have started taking counseling regarding alcohol use primarily. When my ex took my kid away from me i resorted to start using heavier and drinking really heavy. For some time i was literally addicted to alcohol(which i did not think would ever happen to me)

People that get addicted to say heroin, more than likely DO have a crowd with access to H. Very lovely drug but is addictive to me. SO people with friends with good access normally is the root cause because if you cannot find it, how can you be addicted to it ya know.

Some good sources on related books would be nice. These days you have to have access to college library or order it online. Personally, i don't mind going to libraries and researching various subjects.

You in any kind of substance abuse related counseling??

 

[EmuBitter]

I was less interested in the definition of dependence than the percentages, are they seriously saying 1 in 4 who use heroin once become dependent and 1 in 6 for alcohol or cocaine? .

I believe they are. They are saying that 1 in 4 people who use heroin become dependant on it etc. The definition of dependence is very important though as these figures were obtained using DSM critera for dependance and arent comparable to other definitions of dependance/addiciton.

The study they used in the text is Anthony, J, C., Warner, A.W. & Kessler, R. C. (1994). Comparative epidemiology of dependence on tobacco, alcohol, controlled substances and inhalants: basic findings from the National Comorbidity Survey, Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 2, 244-68.

I don't have time to find the exact quotes at the moment, but in Stanton Peele's Meaning of Addiction (the chapter of which I *believe* was co-written with Bruce K. Alexander of the rat park studies, but not certain) put the figure of people who try cocaine at least once and become addicted closer to 1% than 16... and that wasn't his work, this is from quite a selection of studies he cited. IIRC even people who used cocaine substantially more than once, were less likely to meet DSM criteria for dependence than the levels your text quoted.

I would be very interested to see the source your book quoted for those numbers if you don't mind because I'd love to find the parameters and look at the data if I can find it. .

My text book is called "Drug Use and Drug Related Harm: a delicate balance".

also on a personal note i dont think the figure is 1% who become dependant on cocaine. This seems far too low. Perhaps Stanton's definition of "addiction" is different and therefore achieved different figures?

People on BL commonly believe that THAT high of a percentage do become dependent/addicted but I think its due to the circles they run in and the people they talk to online.
.

im not sure if they are right or wrong now, thanks alot

but, if you take tobacco as an example though almost everyone has smoked tobacco products and around one quarter of the population regulary smokes (i would guess are dependant) so the tobacco dependance figures in my text are not that far off in this example. i cant really say for the other drugs as this doesnt work as not everyone has tried them.

I'll try to find quotes when I have time, hopefully later today... and I REALLY appreciate your thorough responses!

Are you going into drug counseling, taking that course for another program or just out of interest? I'm working on certification for drug and alcohol counseling right now.

No worries thanks for the reply. Im not sure what field im going to go into after i finish studying man. I am currently obtaining a university degree in addiction studies and psychology though as this seems to be my favourite topic.

 

[Jabberwocky]

bump to bring out of PD and into discussion again.