Core Concepts of Patient Family Care Related

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Which statement most accurately describes substance dependence?

  • A. It is a lack of control over use. Tolerance and withdrawal symptoms occur when intake is reduced or stopped.
  • B. It occurs when psychoactive drug use interferes with the work of competing neurotransmitters.
  • C. Symptoms occur when two or more drugs that affect the central nervous system (CNS) have additive effects.
  • D. It involves taking a combination of substances to weaken or inhibit the effect of another drug.
Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Rationale for Answer A:
1. Substance dependence involves a lack of control over use, leading to compulsive drug-seeking behavior.
2. Tolerance and withdrawal symptoms are key indicators of substance dependence when intake is reduced or stopped.
3. These symptoms result from physiological changes in the body due to chronic drug use.
4. The cycle of tolerance and withdrawal reinforces the dependence on the substance.

Summary of why other choices are incorrect:
B. Interference with neurotransmitters is more related to the pharmacological effects of drugs, not a defining feature of substance dependence.
C. Additive effects of drugs do not necessarily indicate substance dependence but rather interactions between different substances.
D. Combining substances to weaken effects does not define substance dependence; it is more about the compulsive use and physical dependence on a substance.