A strategy for the biological assessment of addiction

Substances and drugs with powerful psychotropic effects have come into common use during the past decade. Involvement with these substances can range from benign to tragic experiences. Such use may include: experimental, social or recreational use, long-term habituation, toxic reactions, medical-psychologic complications, overdose, and death. Although clinicians tend to analyze and explain many patterns of drug use in terms of various psychodynamic, sociologic and behavioral theories, all of these perspectives begin with the biological and pharmacological effects produced by the various drugs. During the assessment process, the clinician can avoid much confusion by learning to differentiate between the direct pharmacological effects and the diverse psychological and behavioral effects of the drug(s) or substances(s) in question. In order to make these distinctions, a foundation in the "biological basics" is essential. This paper presents a strategy for learning the direct tropic effects produced by various drugs. This approach organizes commonly used drugs into six basic categories reflecting the primary action of each: narcotics and related analgesics; sedative-hypnotics (including barbiturates, non-barbiturate sedatives, minor tranquilizers and alcohol); stimulants (including amphetamines, cocaine, and others); hallucinogens; and others like phencyclidine, cannabis and inhalants, which do not readily fit the other categories.