Tolerance, that sneaky little devil, plays a role in both addiction and dependence. It’s like building calluses on your hands from playing guitar – the more you do it, the more you need to feel the same sensation. In the context of substance use, tolerance can lead to escalating doses, increasing the risk of both dependence and addiction. Now, you might be wondering, “Why on earth should I care about the difference? ” Well, my curious companion, understanding the distinction between addiction and dependence is crucial for several reasons.
Substance use disorder
- 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.
- While a person who is dependent on a drug needs it to feel normal, it’s not creating a lot of chaos in their lives.
- The person’s behavior surrounding the substance progressively becomes more destructive.
- If that substance dependence has a negative impact on your life, you could be at risk of addiction.
Reach out to our staff at The Recovery Village to learn more about how we treat substance issues, chemical dependency, and behavioral addiction. Let’s examine how the world views addiction versus dependence in relation to substance abuse disorders. Dependence can develop with the regular use of various substances, including prescription medications, even when taken as directed.
Which Substances Are Addictive?
- A person can have an addiction without necessarily having a physical dependence.
- Dependence refers to the physical or psychological reliance on a substance without addictive behaviors present.
- In such cases, the prescribing physician can promptly transition in the patient off of the medication and have them evaluated and treated for SUD.
- We do not and have never accepted fees for referring someone to a particular center.
- Addiction, on the other hand, is the unruly teenager of the family – rebellious, disruptive, and often wreaking havoc on one’s life despite the negative consequences.
And anyone can become addicted, from people experiencing homelessness to business executives. Addictions can start slowly as people experiment with different types of drugs. Or they can come on quickly, like what is now happening in the opioid crisis. The opioid crisis is so bad that the U.S. government declared a public health emergency. People who are addicted to a substance use it even if it has no medical what is alcoholism benefit. Addictions are more likely to result in serious harm, including suicide, unlike tolerance and physical dependence.
- As a result, their usage must be causing them psychological or physical impairment.
- If you’re concerned about your drug use and whether it’s crossing the line towards addiction, an understanding of these terms can help.
- Most people today seem to use the terms “addiction” and “dependency” interchangeably.
- Detoxification treatment may need to be administered to those with substance dependence due to the dangerous nature of some withdrawal symptoms.
- These triggers set off biochemical changes in your brain, which influence addictive behavior.
Understanding Dependence
- It’s characterized by compulsive drug-seeking behavior, loss of control over use, and continued use despite negative consequences.
- For a person to be diagnosed with a substance abuse disorder, they must be consistently using alcohol or drugs.
- Addiction affects the addict’s thoughts and behaviors, causing patterns of drug-seeking behavior that may be destructive or dangerous.
- Now, here’s where it gets tricky – addiction and dependence often overlap, like two circles in a Venn diagram.
- 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).
Speak with your doctor if you have become addiction vs dependence physically dependent on a medication or other substance. Other common substances that cause dependence are nicotine and pain relievers, particularly narcotics. Stopping suddenly will likely cause symptoms, and they can be serious. So unless it is urgent, gradually cutting down on the amount and how often you use it should make it easier. If you were addicted to the substance, just cutting down wouldn’t ordinarily work.
This is why recent evidence-based literature clearly defines the difference between addiction and physical dependence =https://ecosoberhouse.com/ in drug use. Chemical dependency is broader and may include other physical signs like an increasing tolerance to the substance, or withdrawal symptoms when someone tries to quit or cut down on using it. Addiction is a disease characterized by behavioral issues, and dependence refers to a physical reliance on a substance.