Craving

Definition

Craving is an intense, persistent desire or urge to use a particular substance, such as a drug or alcohol. It is a core feature of substance-related and addictive disorders, characterized by a strong, often uncontrollable, need to engage in the addictive behavior despite the negative consequences.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Cravings are often triggered by environmental cues, such as the sight of drug paraphernalia or the smell of alcohol, which can lead to a strong urge to use the substance.
2. Cravings are believed to be mediated by changes in the brain's reward and motivation systems, particularly the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine.
3. Cravings can persist even after a person has stopped using a substance, contributing to the high rates of relapse observed in substance-related and addictive disorders.
4. The intensity and frequency of cravings can be reduced through various interventions, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, medication, and mindfulness-based techniques.
5. Cravings are a key target for treatment in substance-related and addictive disorders, as they are a major obstacle to achieving and maintaining abstinence or controlled use.

Review Questions

• Explain how cravings contribute to the development and maintenance of substance-related and addictive disorders.
  • Cravings play a central role in the development and maintenance of substance-related and addictive disorders. The intense, persistent desire to use a particular substance is a core feature of these disorders and is often triggered by environmental cues or changes in the brain's reward and motivation systems. Cravings can lead to compulsive substance use, even in the face of negative consequences, and contribute to high rates of relapse, making them a major obstacle to achieving and maintaining abstinence or controlled use.
• Describe the neurobiological mechanisms underlying cravings in the context of substance-related and addictive disorders.
  • The neurobiological mechanisms underlying cravings in substance-related and addictive disorders involve changes in the brain's reward and motivation systems. Specifically, the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine, which is associated with feelings of pleasure and reward, is believed to play a key role in the development and maintenance of cravings. Repeated substance use can lead to adaptations in these neural pathways, causing the brain to become hypersensitive to substance-related cues and triggering intense urges to use the substance, even in the absence of the substance itself.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of different interventions in reducing the intensity and frequency of cravings in individuals with substance-related and addictive disorders.
  • Various interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing the intensity and frequency of cravings in individuals with substance-related and addictive disorders. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, for example, can help individuals identify and manage triggers for cravings, as well as develop coping strategies to resist the urge to use. Medication, such as opioid antagonists or anti-craving drugs, can also be used to directly target the neurobiological mechanisms underlying cravings. Additionally, mindfulness-based techniques, which focus on cultivating present-moment awareness and acceptance, have been found to be effective in reducing the impact of cravings and promoting long-term abstinence or controlled use. The effectiveness of these interventions can be evaluated based on their ability to help individuals with substance-related and addictive disorders achieve and maintain their treatment goals.

Related terms

Withdrawal: The physical and psychological symptoms that occur when a person suddenly stops or reduces their use of a substance they have become dependent on, such as alcohol, drugs, or nicotine.

Tolerance: The need for increased amounts of a substance to achieve the desired effect, or a diminished effect with the same amount of the substance, due to the body's adaptation to the substance.

Reinforcement: The process by which a behavior is strengthened or maintained by the presentation of a stimulus (such as a reward) or the removal of an aversive stimulus.