Illinois CADC Exam Questions and
Answers Latest 2026
Understanding Addiction and Recovery Ans: Addiction is
a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation,
memory and related circuitry. Dysfunction in these
circuits leads to characteristic biological, psychological,
social and spiritual manifestations. This is reflected in an
individual pathologically pursuing reward and/or relief
by substance use and other behaviors. Addiction is
characterized by a diminished recognition of significant
problems with one's behaviors. (ASAM: American Society
of Addiction Medicine)
Factors that Influence Addiction Ans: Genetic, Home &
Family, Peer & School; Early Use; Method of
Administration; Fundamental changes in the Brain.
Theories of Causation Ans: Moral Model; Disease Model
(E.M. Jellinek 1960); Genetic Model; Cultural Model;
Blended Model.
Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) Ans: Exist along a
continuum.
Drugs of Abuse Ans: Alcohol is the most frequently
abused substance. Drugs obtained through prescriptions
or stolen from pharmacies is a serious problem.
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Alcohol Ans: Alcohol is classified as a sedative-hypnotic,
thus a central nervous system depressant. Alcohol has
eights stages of effect: sub-clinical, euphoria, excitement;
excitement (2); excitement/confusion;
confusion/stupor;coma and death Catholic University of
America 2011)
Alcohol Ans: While it is trues that men are more likely to
drink alcohol and in greater amounts, women have a
higher risk of developing problems from alcohol
consumption. This is because women generally have less
water than men's bodies. Because alcohol mixes with
body water, a given amount of alcohol is less diluted in a
woman's body than in a man's. Women become more
impaired by alcohol's effects and are more susceptible to
alcohol-related organ damage.
Cannabis (Marijuana) Ans: Contrary to popular belief,
marijuana is addictive.
Prescription Drugs Ans: Past year abuse of prescription
pain killers now ranks second-only behind marijuana- as
the nations's most prevalent drug problem.
The classes of prescription drugs most commonly
abused: Ans: Opioid pain relievers such as Vicodin or
Oxycontin; stimulants for treating ADHD such as
Adderall, Concerta or Ritalin and Cental Nervous System
depressants for relieving anxiety such as Valium and
Xanax.
Prescription Drugs Ans: More people die from overdoses
of prescription opioids than from all other drugs
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combined, including heroine and cocaine (Centers for
Disease Control, 2011).
Withdrawal from Drugs of Abuse Ans: Central to the role
of nearly all drugs taht are commonly abused to
prodeuce euphoria is the nucleus accumbens, the brain's
"pleasure center".
Withdrawal from Drugs of Abuse Ans: Attempting to give
up a benzodiazepine or alcohol dependency can result in
seizures and worse if not carried out properly.
Recovery Ans: Recovery is a process of change whereby
individual's improve their health and wellness, to live a
self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential
(SAMHSA, 2014)
A New Recovery Paradigm Ans: There has been a shift in
traditional clinical practice toward new priorities of
supporting the client in working toward self-defined
goals and taking responsibility for their own life. The new
recovery movement affirms the very real potential for
permanent, personal resolution of behavioral health
problems.
Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care Ans: ROSCs are a
model of sustained recovery management (RM). The RM
model wraps traditional interventions in a continuum of
recovery support services spanning the pre-recovery,
recovery initiation and stabilization, and recovery
maintenance stages of problem resolution. Distinctive is
the model's emphasis on post-treatment monitoring and
support; long term, stage-appropriate recovery education;
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