Alcohol and Drug Counselor Exam Practice Test

A wife refers her husband for substance abuse counseling. His drug of choice is cocaine, which he has been using episodically with friends—biweekly to weekly—for some years. She is disturbed at the illicit nature of the drug and the long-standing quality of the use. Given the information provided, how is his use of cocaine BEST described? Cocaine addiction Recreational use Cocaine dependence Substance abuse - Recreational use What does the experienced effect of a drug depend upon? The modality of administration The amount taken and past drug experiences All of these answer choices Poly drug use, setting, and circumstance - All of these answer choices How is drug tolerance BEST described? The need for more of a drug to get intoxicated The inability to get intoxicated Increased sensitivity to a drug over time Decreased sensitivity to a drug over time - IncorrectWhen a drug is used regularly, the body is gradually able to adapt to the effects of the drug. Evidence of tolerance is twofold: (1) greater doses of the drug are required to achieve previous effects, and (2) doses that would have produced profound physiological compromise or even death are now readily tolerated without untoward effects. In some cases, it has been noted that up to ten times a lethal dosage, or even more, may be taken without any signs of significant physiological compromise. Tolerance develops as the body seeks homeostasis, or a functional state of equilibrium, in spite of the presence of the drug. As tolerance develops, drug dependence concurrently develops—whereupon absence of the drug now induces disequilibrium and physiological compromise. Which of the following is NOT a "drug cue"? Seeing others use drugs A prior drug-use setting Drug avoidance strategies Drug use paraphernalia - Drug avoidance strategies What happens as tolerance for barbiturates develops? The margin between intoxication and lethality increases The margin between intoxication and lethality decreases Tolerance does not develop for barbiturates The margin between intoxication and lethality stays the same - While tolerance for barbiturates does develop, tolerance for an otherwise lethal dose only marginally increases and never exceeds twofold. This means that the likelihood of an unintentional fatal dose increases substantially over time as the need for the intoxicating effect pushes that threshold ever closer to a lethal dose. Given the impairments in memory and judgment that typically accompany CNS depressant intoxication, simple forgetfulness can lead to a fatal overdose. Finally, using barbiturates with any other CNS depressant substance, such as alcohol, can result in an additive CNS depression that can readily be fatal. Death most often occurs via respiratory or cardiac suppression. What is the MOST common symptom of Wernicke's encephalopathy? Psychosis Confusion New memory formation Loss of older memories - Other symptoms of Wernicke's encephalopathy include poor muscle coordination and oculomotor impairment (problems moving the eyes in a controlled fashion). Wernicke's syndrome is a short-term condition resulting from vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency, typically developing after years of drinking and poor nutrition. Of those with Wernicke's syndrome, 80 to 90 percent will develop long-term psychosis and memory problems known as Korsakoff syndrome. While poor coordination is a symptom, retrograde amnesia (loss of old memories) and learning impairments are among the more classic hallmarks of the condition. Because they are so often found together, the two syndromes are often referred to concurrently as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Which of the following conditions does alcohol NOT induce? Nephrosis Steatosis Hepatitis Cirrhosis - Hepatitis refers to inflammation of the liver. Alcohol is toxic to all body tissues. Because alcohol must be metabolized by the liver, it is particularly susceptible to the toxic effects. Consequently, many heavy drinkers suffer from alcoholic hepatitis, characterized by abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and a swollen liver. In more extreme cases, jaundice and bleeding can result. Jaundice (a yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes) is from bilirubin, a by-product of aging red blood cells broken down in the liver, that should have been fully metabolized by the liver. Spontaneous bleeding occurs because key clotting factors are made in the liver, but production is inhibited by hepatitis. Steatosis consists of fatty deposits in the liver that, if severe, can prove fatal. Cirrhosis refers to scarring of the liver from alcohol damage, preventing its normal functioning. High blood toxins can also cause hepatic encephalopathy—a reversible dementia—if the toxins are reduced. What does formication refer to? Sex between two unmarried individuals A sensation of bugs crawling under the skin