Substance Addiction

Start with the terms

Substance Addiction is a section of the Addiction unit in Psychology. The resources on this page offer different ways to study the topic, from short definitions to visual summaries and flashcards. A useful starting point is Substance Abuse General, a note that sets out terms including substance use and substance misuse. Use it to become familiar with the language before moving on to a mind map.

The page also has two mind maps called Substance Abuse. One includes physical and psychological dependence, tolerance, withdrawal, explanations and treatments. The other organizes material around causes and effects. Comparing their branches can show you how the resources approach the topic from different angles.

Follow an explanation

After looking at the general terms, use the flashcards on explanations of substance abuse to review hereditary and personality-related explanations. You can then return to the mind map that includes hereditary factors, personality characteristics and social factors. Try to recall an idea from the flashcards before finding its place on the map.

For a more focused example, Explanations for Nicotine Addiction includes material on acetylcholine receptors and dopamine-producing neurons. The Smoking mind map groups material under biological, learning and cognitive headings. Read the branches alongside each other and note the different kinds of explanation they contain.

Use the resources together

The page has no quizzes, but its flashcards provide prompts for recall. D&B Final: Lecture 7 includes addiction, symptoms of substance use disorder and stages of addiction. Study a relevant mind map first, then use the deck to check what you can remember. Return to the map when you need context.

These resources give you several entry points into the Substance Addiction section of the Addiction unit. Choose a mind map and a flashcard deck to use together.