Objectives:• To learn the differential diagnosis of drug addict and ASPD
• To know about the controversial and few other important drugs - As a result addicts exhibits many anti-social traits like:
- Lying
- Stealing
- Conning, Manipulation/ Cheating
- Irresponsibility
- Violence and aggression
- Lack of victim empathy
- Bad company
Differential diagnosis
For making differential diagnosis, we need to understand that stealing, lying, irresponsibility and aggression is different because addicts do lie but addicts’ lying is not compulsive and pathological they lie in order to get money for drugs and so are purposeful. Like wise manipulation, stealing and bad company is also to get drugs. Addicts can exhibit violence and aggression under the influence and effect of drugs. People with ASPD have flat emotional experience so lack victim empathy; addicts also show lack of victim empathy but usually they do this because of withdrawal symptoms or under the influence of drug, an emotional numbness have empowered them and they are unable to feel empathy for victim. But differential diagnosis is not that much easy as it appears to be because one of main characteristics of ASPD is the drug addiction and they use poly drugs for thrill seeking. Here one delicate concept to remember that all ASPD are drug addicts but it is not necessary that all addicts have ASPD. The education about the effects of different drugs is very important in order to understand the treatment programs. Because few drugs are highly addictive, having devastating bodily effects and are strongly linked with crimes rate and other drugs are rarely linked with crimes like people using “Ganja” you will never find him committing any crime.
Drugs are widely divided into two categories:
1. Uppers or stimulants (like tea, coffee)
2. Downers or depressants (use of such drugs slows down the bodily functions and person feels happy and cheerful) - Use of many drugs like heroin becomes life style so change is requiring a crucial medical and psychological treatment. And lot of will, behavioral and emotional power along with community support is essential. So role of psychologists is vital in helping an addict to live a normal life.
Few of important drugs are listed below:
1. Marijuana
2. Heroin
3. Cocaine
4. Unconventional drugs
5. LSD and other Pills
6. Alcohol
- Marijuana: The controversial drug
Many studies insist it is harmful
Many others reject such claims
Legal drug in many countries and many states in the United States
Less harmful than alcohol
Medicinal use such as in cancer patients
This drug provides a gateway to all other more lethal drugs, the belief a lower classed drug can lead to the use subsequent abuse of "harder", more dangerous drugs. Some believe tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana are gateway drugs.
- Heroin and cocaine: Highly addictive
Tolerance increases exponentially
Distort the perceptual system
Impair conscious control
Could lead to dangerous behavior
Many crimes like stealing, manipulation, lying, violence and aggression are done because of the withdrawal symptoms or under the influence of drug.
- Unconventional drugs: These substances are not usually prepared for addiction purposes but their mis use can be also addictive and can have devastating effects on nervous system like:
Glue sniffing ( common in street children)
Solvent abuse
Spirit, petrol, cleaning agents etc
Highly poisonous
Impact nervous system
- LSD and other Pills: Many legal and illegal pills
Legal pills such as tranquilizers are addictive
Illegal pills such as Ecstasy
People have died as a result
Many pills that are legal and use under the care of doctor is for a certain period of time is acceptable but people misuse them as addiction agents and even such drugs can have extremely lethal effects.
• To know about the controversial and few other important drugs - As a result addicts exhibits many anti-social traits like:
- Lying
- Stealing
- Conning, Manipulation/ Cheating
- Irresponsibility
- Violence and aggression
- Lack of victim empathy
- Bad company
Differential diagnosis
For making differential diagnosis, we need to understand that stealing, lying, irresponsibility and aggression is different because addicts do lie but addicts’ lying is not compulsive and pathological they lie in order to get money for drugs and so are purposeful. Like wise manipulation, stealing and bad company is also to get drugs. Addicts can exhibit violence and aggression under the influence and effect of drugs. People with ASPD have flat emotional experience so lack victim empathy; addicts also show lack of victim empathy but usually they do this because of withdrawal symptoms or under the influence of drug, an emotional numbness have empowered them and they are unable to feel empathy for victim. But differential diagnosis is not that much easy as it appears to be because one of main characteristics of ASPD is the drug addiction and they use poly drugs for thrill seeking. Here one delicate concept to remember that all ASPD are drug addicts but it is not necessary that all addicts have ASPD. The education about the effects of different drugs is very important in order to understand the treatment programs. Because few drugs are highly addictive, having devastating bodily effects and are strongly linked with crimes rate and other drugs are rarely linked with crimes like people using “Ganja” you will never find him committing any crime.
Drugs are widely divided into two categories:
1. Uppers or stimulants (like tea, coffee)
2. Downers or depressants (use of such drugs slows down the bodily functions and person feels happy and cheerful) - Use of many drugs like heroin becomes life style so change is requiring a crucial medical and psychological treatment. And lot of will, behavioral and emotional power along with community support is essential. So role of psychologists is vital in helping an addict to live a normal life.
Few of important drugs are listed below:
1. Marijuana
2. Heroin
3. Cocaine
4. Unconventional drugs
5. LSD and other Pills
6. Alcohol
- Marijuana: The controversial drug
Many studies insist it is harmful
Many others reject such claims
Legal drug in many countries and many states in the United States
Less harmful than alcohol
Medicinal use such as in cancer patients
This drug provides a gateway to all other more lethal drugs, the belief a lower classed drug can lead to the use subsequent abuse of "harder", more dangerous drugs. Some believe tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana are gateway drugs.
- Heroin and cocaine: Highly addictive
Tolerance increases exponentially
Distort the perceptual system
Impair conscious control
Could lead to dangerous behavior
Many crimes like stealing, manipulation, lying, violence and aggression are done because of the withdrawal symptoms or under the influence of drug.
- Unconventional drugs: These substances are not usually prepared for addiction purposes but their mis use can be also addictive and can have devastating effects on nervous system like:
Glue sniffing ( common in street children)
Solvent abuse
Spirit, petrol, cleaning agents etc
Highly poisonous
Impact nervous system
- LSD and other Pills: Many legal and illegal pills
Legal pills such as tranquilizers are addictive
Illegal pills such as Ecstasy
People have died as a result
Many pills that are legal and use under the care of doctor is for a certain period of time is acceptable but people misuse them as addiction agents and even such drugs can have extremely lethal effects.
