Anxiety Disorders and Stress Q 47
Situation: The nurse assigned to the detoxification unit attends to various patients with substance-related disorders. A 45 years old male revealed that he experienced a marked increase in his intake of alcohol to achieve the desired effect. This indicates:
A. Withdrawal
B. Tolerance
C. Intoxication
D. Psychological dependence
Correct Answer: B. Tolerance
Tolerance refers to the increase in the amount of the substance to achieve the same effects. Tolerance means that after continued drinking, consumption of a constant amount of alcohol produces a lesser effect or increasing amounts of alcohol are necessary to produce the same effect. Despite this uncomplicated definition, scientists distinguish between several types of tolerance that are produced by different mechanisms.
Option A: Withdrawal refers to the physical signs and symptoms that occur when the addictive substance is reduced or withheld. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms occur when patients stop drinking or significantly decrease their alcohol intake after long-term dependence. Withdrawal has a broad range of symptoms from mild tremors to a condition called delirium tremens, which results in seizures and could progress to death if not recognized and treated promptly.
Option B: Intoxication refers to the behavioral changes that occur upon recent ingestion of substance. Intoxication is a condition that follows the administration of a psychoactive substance and results in disturbances in the level of consciousness, cognition, perception, judgement, affect, or behaviour, or other psychophysiological functions and responses. The term is most commonly used with regard to alcohol use: its equivalent in everyday speech is “drunkenness”. Alcohol intoxication is manifested by such signs as facial flushing, slurred speech, unsteady gait, euphoria, increased activity, volubility, disorderly conduct, slowed reactions, impaired judgement and motor incoordination, insensibility, or stupefaction.
Option D: Psychological dependence refers to the intake of the substance to prevent the onset of withdrawal symptoms. The term psychological dependence is generally meant to describe the emotional and mental processes that are associated with the development of, and recovery from, a substance use disorder or process addiction.