Reference no: EM132217841

Assignment - Read the vignette below and follow the essay instructions -

James is a heavy drinker who has trouble managing the amount of alcohol he consumes; he often embarrasses himself when out with friends by becoming heavily intoxicated, and is usually „hungover? at work and less productive than his colleagues. James finds that if he goes without drinking for any significant length of time, he experiences headaches, unease and strong cravings for alcohol. James will often consume more alcohol to alleviate these symptoms, and has recently started drinking in the mornings to „cure? his hangover. James has noticed that most of the time he no longer enjoys drinking alcohol, and despite expressing a desire to reduce or stop his drinking, James is unable to do so, and his behaviour has now become a cycle of attempts to quit, followed by resumption of his drinking.

Instructions: Your task is to read the vignette on the previous page and answer the following questions regarding James? experience and behaviour. These three parts of the essay assignment are worth an equivalent number of marks, so you should dedicate the same amount of time/words in addressing each.

1. What is the psychological term for the symptoms James experiences after abstaining from consuming alcohol? How do changes in the functioning of neurotransmitter systems produce these symptoms?

2. With reference to associative learning principles/models/theories, why does James consume alcohol to alleviate these symptoms? What motivates his drinking behaviour given that he no longer enjoys this activity (most of the time)?

3. How do these factors prevent James from quitting his drinking, and lead to a cycle of relapse when he attempts to do so? Why are these processes important for our understanding of addiction and substance use disorders?

Attachment:- Assignment File.rar