Differences Between Substance Abuse, Dependence, & Addiction

The pain is so randomly up and down that it’s kind of hard to track it. I haven’t experienced any negative side effects in the tapering off process, so I don’t think that it could be said that I was addicted to it. It is possible to be physically addicted not to have a brain disease.

Although someone with a drug addiction can end their physical dependence on the drug through detox, the mental component of the addiction remains, and maintaining sobriety can be an ongoing struggle. These are less involved than partial hospitalization programs and typically take place at a treatment center or outpatient clinic. Clients receiving intensive outpatient https://ecosoberhouse.com/ treatment will usually visit the center 2 to 5 days per week for 2 to 4 hours per day. If you find yourself struggling to control your alcohol or drug use, you’re not alone. Whether it’s prescription medications, smoking, or illicit street drugs, it can be difficult to manage your substance use and to know whether you’re heading towards addiction.

Abuse, Dependence, or Addiction?

As long as the medications keep me stable, I’ll continue to take them. I don’t see it as an addiction at all, rather a need in my body to regulate my brain chemistry. If so, it’s important for you to treat it with the seriousness it requires and get help before it’s too late. The only way to overcome this is by accepting you have a problem and reaching out for help.

Similarly, pain patients in need of opioid medications may forgo proper treatment because of the fear of dependence, which is self-limiting by equating it with addiction (764–765) [6]. In 2013, the American Psychological Association (APA) released the fifth edition of the DSM. In this edition, the definitions revolving around addiction were changed once again. The APA ditched both “substance abuse” and “substance dependence” in favor of “substance use disorder.” Substance use disorder is now the medical term for addiction. Previously, abuse was a mild form of addiction, and dependence was a moderate or severe form of addiction.

Dependence vs. tolerance

Addiction can impact every aspect of your life, starting with your mental health.10 Substances change your brain, and might contribute to co-occurring disorders like anxiety and depression. These symptoms, along with other aspects of addiction, can interfere with your relationships. If you prioritize drug use over your colleagues or loved ones, you might face serious consequences. Fortunately, https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/addiction-vs-dependence-what-is-the-difference/ Volkow and her colleagues’ argument carried the day with the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-5 committee in 2013. Physiological dependence is very common and can occur with many different kinds of substances, including those considered to be medications. Recognizing the difference between an addiction and substance dependence can help to better understand the nature of addiction.

• The terms “addiction” and “dependence” may sound interchangeable, but they mean different things.
• If you are facing a medical emergency or considering suicide or self harm, please call 911 immediately.
• It is possible to be physically addicted not to have a brain disease.
• Treatment must address withdrawal symptoms and potential relapses if it occurs.
• Substance use disorder, on the other hand, is used in clinical and diagnostic settings to refer to “addiction.” The condition also has varying levels of severity and is categorized as mild, moderate, or severe.
• So, I keep looking for safer, healthier, alternative pain management.

BetterHelp can connect you to an addiction and mental health counselor. When someone is dependent, their body adapts to a drug and requires more of it to achieve the same effect. No longer taking that drug produces symptoms, including withdrawal syndrome. Addiction, on the other hand, is not a predictable drug effect, but rather a disease that occurs in genetically, biologically, and psychosocially vulnerable individuals. When genetics, environment, and drug use overlap, addiction may occur. Such confusion can also contribute to a reluctance among prescribers to treat pain conditions among individuals on opioid agonist treatment.

Substance Addiction

Physical dependence on a substance (drug or alcohol) may be a component of addiction, but it does not itself equal addiction. Dependence is characterized by tolerance or withdrawal symptoms, and can be a consequence of many drugs, such as pain medications, stimulants, and antidepressants. Physical and psychological dependence on a drug is different, although many with addictions to drugs or alcohol have both. Being physically dependent on a substance means a person’s brain and body have come to rely on the drug, and that a person will experience physical withdrawals when cutting back or stopping. Certain drugs are known to be more physically addictive than others, making it more likely that a person will develop a physical dependence (i.e. heroin, cocaine, or meth vs marijuana or alcohol).