Jekaterina takes an illegal drug - AQA - A-Level Psychology - Question 17 - 2022 - Paper 2
Question 17
Jekaterina takes an illegal drug. At first, she only took the drug a couple of times a week, but she now takes the drug daily. She finds that she needs to take twice... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Jekaterina takes an illegal drug - AQA - A-Level Psychology - Question 17 - 2022 - Paper 2
Step 1
Define physical dependency and tolerance
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Answer
A person is said to be physically dependent on a drug when they have developed tolerance and experience withdrawal symptoms. Tolerance refers to a situation where the body has adapted to the drug, requiring more to be taken to achieve the same effect as initially experienced.
Step 2
Explain the withdrawal symptoms
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Answer
When a person who is addicted stops taking the drug, they usually experience withdrawal symptoms, which can include physical pain or discomfort, such as severe headaches, as described by Jekaterina.
Step 3
Psychological dependence
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Psychological dependence occurs when the addict believes they cannot manage their daily life without consuming the drug. Jekaterina feels that she cannot cope with her stressful job without taking the drug.
Step 4
Discuss Jekaterina's situation
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Jekaterina is physically dependent on the illegal drug since she shows withdrawal symptoms when she does not take it and has become tolerant, needing to use it daily to achieve the same effects as when she first began. Her experience of headaches when not using the drug highlights the physical consequences of her dependency.
