Intoxication
Intoxication is a condition resulting from the consumption of various substances, including alcohol, caffeine, marijuana, and certain prescription or illicit drugs. It is classified as a substance-induced disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). The identification of intoxication typically involves assessing the specific substance present in an individual's system through breath or urine tests, alongside observing behavioral and psychological symptoms. Common indicators of alcohol intoxication include slurred speech, coordination issues, and impaired judgment.
The severity of intoxication can vary widely based on individual factors such as tolerance and physical health. Alcohol poisoning, a more serious consequence of excessive consumption, can occur when the liver is overwhelmed by alcohol, leading to critical health risks. Treatment often involves detoxification, where medical supervision is essential to manage withdrawal symptoms safely. As research progresses, new technologies are being developed to improve the detection of intoxication, highlighting the ongoing efforts to understand and address the complexities of substance use.
Intoxication
Also known as:Inebriation
Anatomy or system affected:Brain, heart, psychic-emotional system, reproductive system, respiratory system
Definition:A physical and mental state resulting from having consumed a psychoactive substance and characterized by maladaptive changes in physiological, psychological, mood, and/or cognitive processes.
Causes and Symptoms
Intoxication is a type of substance-induced disorder described in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-5 (5th ed., 2013). Intoxication results from the consumption of substances such as alcohol, caffeine, marijuana, other illicit drugs. These include some mushrooms and other plants, and even some over-the-counter and prescription drugs.
Intoxication is diagnosed by identifying the substance in the body system and observing characteristic symptoms in the person affected. Specific substances do certain things to the body and therefore create certain symptoms. Tests of breath or urine samples are often used to detect intoxication. Additionally, simply watching the individual for psychological and behavioral signs or asking the individual to perform certain tasks can help with detection. Police officers who suspect alcohol intoxication, for instance, may ask individuals to walk a straight line or close their eyes and stand up straight. Such tests allow the officers to observe the person’s balance and body sway. Loss of balance or significant body sway can indicate intoxication.
Each substance has specific symptoms associated with its intoxication state. Therefore, when testing someone for intoxication, different tests may be needed to determine whether any individual substance has been used.
Alcohol intoxication is marked by symptoms such as slurred speech, coordination problems, unsteady gait, nystagmus, impairments in memory or attention, and stupor. Nystagmus is an involuntary condition in which the eyes do not track the movement of objects smoothly. Stupor is a condition in which a person is in a daze and has numbed senses. With alcohol intoxication, stupor can escalate to coma. In addition to these symptoms, problematic behaviors may also manifest themselves, such as aggression, impaired judgment, mood problems, or problems interacting socially or at work.
Alcohol poisoning results from excessive consumption of alcohol. This varies from person-to-person and depends on factors such as tolerance, weight, number of drinks, and physical health. Alcohol poisoning can come from ingesting all forms of intoxicating beverages such as beer, wine, or liquor. Intoxication results when a person’s liver can no longer break down the alcohol due to its excessive content, and it begins to enter the bloodstream. As alcohol is a depressant, when a person becomes intoxicated, the central nervous system is likewise depressed and a person’s mental capacities become impaired. When a person reaches a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of .08, they become legally intoxicated. Research indicates that when a person goes beyond a BAC of .056, the negative and depressant effects of alcohol begin to increase in earnest.
Treatment and Therapy
Intoxication is usually short-lived, and the effects dissipate once a substance has been processed out of the body. Treatment usually consists of a process called detoxification, often shortened to detox. This usually is done in emergency rooms or inpatient units in hospitals. Sometimes, however, it may be done in community settings where nonmedical models of intervention are practiced. In all these settings, symptoms are monitored closely as the person withdraws from the substance, as withdrawal can be dangerous. Withdrawal varies from drug to drug. It also varies depending on how long the person has used the substance and how much has been used. Severe withdrawal from certain substances, such as alcohol, and certain illicit drugs, such as heroin, can be lethal.
Perspective and Prospects
Intoxication for some substances is easier to identify than for others. Increasingly, methods are being developed to identify intoxication with greater ease via objective measures. For instance, technology to assess the iris of the eye to detect marijuana intoxication or the use of patches to detect substance use, such as with drugs that may be excreted in sweat, are two recent efforts.
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