What do opiate addicts and cigarette smokers mean by "craving"? A pilot study.
There is general agreement that the term 'craving' requires clarification. This present report presents a pilot study in which groups of opiate addicts and cigarette smokers completed a brief rating scale to describe the frequency and intensity with which they had certain feelings while craving for their own drug of dependence. Craving was reported as being a dysphoric state and opiate addicts described more frequent and more intense dysphoric feeling while craving. Despite the difference in mean scores there were some similarities in the overall profile of scores in the two groups. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Drug Dependence Clinical Research and Treatment Unit, Bethlem Royal and Maudsley Hospital, Beckenham, U.K.
M
M
Gossop
J
J
Powell
S
S
Grey
P
P
Hajek
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects; D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy