ADC Exam 1 Questions with Complete
Solutions (Latest 2025)
A wife refers her husband for substance abuse counseling.
His drug of choice is cocaine, which he has been using
episodically with friends at a poker game—biweekly to weekly
—for some years. She is disturbed at the illicit nature of the
drug and the long-standing use. He states that though he
recreationally uses, he doesn't crave cocaine, doesn't seek it
out but rather uses with friends at the game who bring it. He
feels that other than his wife being upset, he has no other
social or occupational issues. Given the information provided,
how is his use of cocaine BEST described?
a. Substance abuse
b. Cocaine intoxication
c. Cocaine use disorder
d. None of the above - Correct Answers ✅D: None of the
above. The DSM lists a set of eleven symptoms, 2 or more of
which must have occurred at any time during the past 12
months for a diagnosis of substance use disorder. 1)
Tolerance, defined as either the need for larger and larger
amounts of the drug in question over time to achieve the
desired result, or a decrease in the effect of the drug with
continued use of the same amount 2) Withdrawal, defined by
either the known withdrawal symptoms for a particular drug,
or by the fact that the drug, or a similar drug, is taken to
avoid withdrawal symptoms 3) An increase in the amount of
the drug taken, or the continued use of the drug past the
intended time 4) An inability to control usage 5) A large
amount of time and effort devoted to obtaining the drug in
question, using the drug in question, or recovering from its
effects 6) The giving up of important activities in order to
obtain or use the drug in question, or recover from its effects
,ADC Exam 1 Questions with Complete
Solutions (Latest 2025)
7) The continued use of the drug in question regardless of the
ill effects it has caused. 8) Craving 9) Recurrent drug use
which leads to inability to fulful major role 10) Recurrent drug
use though it is physically harmful 11) Recurrent drug use
despite it leading to continued social problems. He does not
meet the criteria for current intoxication either. Recreational
use commonly occurs biweekly or weekly, and the use is
typically for reasons of sociality. Substance abuse counseling
is therefore not indicated. However, counseling regarding the
potential for life circumstances, stressors, or other
unexpected losses or burdens to precipitate a future
substance abuse problem should be discussed.
What does the experienced effect of a drug depend upon?
a. The amount taken and past drug experiences
b. The modality of administration
c. Poly drug use, setting, and circumstance
d. All of the above - Correct Answers ✅D: All of the above.
The amount of a drug ingested will typically affect the user's
experience, with higher doses often producing a greater
effect (though potentially diminishing over time as tolerance
develops). The modality of administration can greatly
influence the rate of the drug's uptake into the system.
Normally the rate of effect, from greatest to least, is:
inhalation (snorting or smoking), injection (intravenous,
intramuscular, or subcutaneous), and ingestion (sublingual or
swallowing with or without food). Generally, the faster the
systemic uptake, the shorter and more intense the high
experienced. Polydrug abuse greatly complicates the drug
,ADC Exam 1 Questions with Complete
Solutions (Latest 2025)
experience, particularly if the drugs used are chemical
antagonists (e.g., stimulants and depressants—such as meth
and alcohol), additive (producing a cumulative effect),
synergistic (more than cumulative), or potentiating (each
enhancing each other). The setting in which the substance
use occurs is also often a significant contributor to the
experience. The feelings engendered by the surroundings,
the people with whom the experience is shared, the attitudes
and reactions of others involved, as well as personal past
drug experiences and individual biology all combine to
produce a drug experience.
How is drug tolerance BEST described?
a. The inability to get intoxicated
b. The need for more of a drug to get intoxicated
c. Increased sensitivity to a drug over time
d. Decreased sensitivity to a drug over time - Correct
Answers ✅D: Decreased sensitivity to a drug over time.
When 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.
, ADC Exam 1 Questions with Complete
Solutions (Latest 2025)
Which of the following is NOT a "drug cue"?
a. A prior drug-use setting
b. Drug use paraphernalia
c. Seeing others use drugs
d. Drug avoidance strategies - Correct Answers ✅D: Drug
avoidance strategies. Intense drug euphoria produces
extremely intense, emotionally imprinted memory engrams,
coupled with long-term changes in the amygdala area of the
brain, which operate outside of conscious control. Key
euphoric memories become integrally connected to sights,
sounds, smells, people, and places previously associated with
drug use. The reappearance of any of these past drug cues
will often effectively trigger intense, amygdala-driven
cravings for a drug. Cravings are further intensified by
lingering imbalances in brain metabolism patterns, receptor
availability, hormone levels, and other hypothalamus and
pituitary-mediated sensations of dysphoria and distress. The
cascading nature of these effects frequently induces a drug-
use relapse.
What happens as tolerance for barbiturates develops?
a. The margin between intoxication and lethality increases.
b. The margin between intoxication and lethality decreases.
c. The margin between intoxication and lethality stays the
same.
Solutions (Latest 2025)
A wife refers her husband for substance abuse counseling.
His drug of choice is cocaine, which he has been using
episodically with friends at a poker game—biweekly to weekly
—for some years. She is disturbed at the illicit nature of the
drug and the long-standing use. He states that though he
recreationally uses, he doesn't crave cocaine, doesn't seek it
out but rather uses with friends at the game who bring it. He
feels that other than his wife being upset, he has no other
social or occupational issues. Given the information provided,
how is his use of cocaine BEST described?
a. Substance abuse
b. Cocaine intoxication
c. Cocaine use disorder
d. None of the above - Correct Answers ✅D: None of the
above. The DSM lists a set of eleven symptoms, 2 or more of
which must have occurred at any time during the past 12
months for a diagnosis of substance use disorder. 1)
Tolerance, defined as either the need for larger and larger
amounts of the drug in question over time to achieve the
desired result, or a decrease in the effect of the drug with
continued use of the same amount 2) Withdrawal, defined by
either the known withdrawal symptoms for a particular drug,
or by the fact that the drug, or a similar drug, is taken to
avoid withdrawal symptoms 3) An increase in the amount of
the drug taken, or the continued use of the drug past the
intended time 4) An inability to control usage 5) A large
amount of time and effort devoted to obtaining the drug in
question, using the drug in question, or recovering from its
effects 6) The giving up of important activities in order to
obtain or use the drug in question, or recover from its effects
,ADC Exam 1 Questions with Complete
Solutions (Latest 2025)
7) The continued use of the drug in question regardless of the
ill effects it has caused. 8) Craving 9) Recurrent drug use
which leads to inability to fulful major role 10) Recurrent drug
use though it is physically harmful 11) Recurrent drug use
despite it leading to continued social problems. He does not
meet the criteria for current intoxication either. Recreational
use commonly occurs biweekly or weekly, and the use is
typically for reasons of sociality. Substance abuse counseling
is therefore not indicated. However, counseling regarding the
potential for life circumstances, stressors, or other
unexpected losses or burdens to precipitate a future
substance abuse problem should be discussed.
What does the experienced effect of a drug depend upon?
a. The amount taken and past drug experiences
b. The modality of administration
c. Poly drug use, setting, and circumstance
d. All of the above - Correct Answers ✅D: All of the above.
The amount of a drug ingested will typically affect the user's
experience, with higher doses often producing a greater
effect (though potentially diminishing over time as tolerance
develops). The modality of administration can greatly
influence the rate of the drug's uptake into the system.
Normally the rate of effect, from greatest to least, is:
inhalation (snorting or smoking), injection (intravenous,
intramuscular, or subcutaneous), and ingestion (sublingual or
swallowing with or without food). Generally, the faster the
systemic uptake, the shorter and more intense the high
experienced. Polydrug abuse greatly complicates the drug
,ADC Exam 1 Questions with Complete
Solutions (Latest 2025)
experience, particularly if the drugs used are chemical
antagonists (e.g., stimulants and depressants—such as meth
and alcohol), additive (producing a cumulative effect),
synergistic (more than cumulative), or potentiating (each
enhancing each other). The setting in which the substance
use occurs is also often a significant contributor to the
experience. The feelings engendered by the surroundings,
the people with whom the experience is shared, the attitudes
and reactions of others involved, as well as personal past
drug experiences and individual biology all combine to
produce a drug experience.
How is drug tolerance BEST described?
a. The inability to get intoxicated
b. The need for more of a drug to get intoxicated
c. Increased sensitivity to a drug over time
d. Decreased sensitivity to a drug over time - Correct
Answers ✅D: Decreased sensitivity to a drug over time.
When 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.
, ADC Exam 1 Questions with Complete
Solutions (Latest 2025)
Which of the following is NOT a "drug cue"?
a. A prior drug-use setting
b. Drug use paraphernalia
c. Seeing others use drugs
d. Drug avoidance strategies - Correct Answers ✅D: Drug
avoidance strategies. Intense drug euphoria produces
extremely intense, emotionally imprinted memory engrams,
coupled with long-term changes in the amygdala area of the
brain, which operate outside of conscious control. Key
euphoric memories become integrally connected to sights,
sounds, smells, people, and places previously associated with
drug use. The reappearance of any of these past drug cues
will often effectively trigger intense, amygdala-driven
cravings for a drug. Cravings are further intensified by
lingering imbalances in brain metabolism patterns, receptor
availability, hormone levels, and other hypothalamus and
pituitary-mediated sensations of dysphoria and distress. The
cascading nature of these effects frequently induces a drug-
use relapse.
What happens as tolerance for barbiturates develops?
a. The margin between intoxication and lethality increases.
b. The margin between intoxication and lethality decreases.
c. The margin between intoxication and lethality stays the
same.
