Friday, March 22, 2024

What’s The Difference Between Addiction And Dependence

Getting Help For Substance Abuse

What is Codependency?

Substance use disorders can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or family history. Dr. Headrick and our team understand the deep impact that substance addiction and dependence can have on an individual and the people around them, and were here to help.

Dependency and addiction can be treated with medication. We work with you to slowly reduce your physical dependence and minimize withdrawal symptoms to set you up for success and ongoing health. Addiction is a disease that requires expert care and support, but recovery is possible.

At Headrick Medical Center, we combine medication and counseling with medication-assisted treatment to help you transform your life. If youre looking for help to overcome a substance abuse disorder, call our office today or book an appointment online.

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Is Dependence Or Dependency Used The Most

Dependence, according to this showing the usage comparison between the two words, is the most used of the two. Dependency is infrequently used, though it has had a very slow and steady increase since the beginning of the 1920s.

Dependence saw a dramatic increase in usage around the beginning of the 1950s as alcoholism became an apparent issue, which lead to prohibition. It continued to rise in the 1980s as illegal drug use such, as cocaine and crack cocaine, also became more prominent.

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How Do I Know If I Need Help

If you have some of the signs of drug dependence or addiction, how can you tell when itâs appropriate to seek treatment? âSigns and symptoms of addiction can vary from person to person, but if you are asking yourself whether or not you need help, more often than not you do,â Tucker Woods, DO, an Addiction Medicine Specialist and Chief Medical Officer at Restorative Management Corp, tells WebMD Connect to Care.

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Prescription Drug Abuse Statistics And Facts

Prescription drugs are abused when people take them in a way that is different from the way their doctor prescribed. They can also be abused when someone takes medications that have been prescribed for someone else.

Some people think because these drugs are legal and were prescribed by a physician that they are safer than illicit drugs. This is not true. Abusing prescription medication can be very dangerous, whether its your own prescription or you are taking one that was originally written for another person. Its possible to overdose on prescription medications by taking too high a dosage at once.

Consider these alarming statistics:

  • With the exception of those 12-17, men are more likely to abuse prescriptions than women.
  • Twenty percent of high school students have used a prescription drug that was not prescribed for them.
  • Over half of prescription drugs used for nonmedical purposes were obtained from friends and relatives.

What Is The Difference Between Dependence And Addiction

Addiction vs Dependence: Understanding the Differences

If you or someone close to you is struggling with prescription drugs, alcohol, or illegal drugs, you might wonder about the connection between dependence and drug addiction. If a loved one has become dependent on a substance, does that mean they are addicted to it? Is there any distinction between addiction and dependence?

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Signs Of Psychological Dependence

If you have ever tried quitting coffee, smoking, or even sugar, you might be familiar with psychological withdrawals. These types of withdrawals are mostly associated with cravings: feeling a need for the drug, not out of necessity, but out of want. This is the common underlying withdrawal symptom with most drugs, however, not all drugs will promote physical withdrawals.

What Causes Drug Abuse Or Dependence

Cultural and societal factors determine what are acceptable or allowable forms of drug or alcohol use. Public laws determine what kind of drug use is legal or illegal. The question of what type of substance use can be considered normal or acceptable remains controversial. Substance abuse and dependence are caused by multiple factors, including genetic vulnerability, environmental stressors, social pressures, individual personality characteristics, and psychiatric problems. But which of these factors has the biggest influence in any one person cannot be determined in all cases.

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What Is Alcohol Dependence

Alcohol dependence, also known as alcohol dependence syndrome, is a condition in which a person feels they need to drink alcohol to function on a daily basis. They may have withdrawal symptoms if they try to stop drinking, and they may continue to drink even though it is causing problems in their life.

Warning Signs Of Addiction And Dependence

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Despite the differences, long-term substance abuse can lead to addiction. Its important to recognize the warning signs of dependence and addiction to prevent yourself or others from experiencing severe health problems.

Some common warnings signs of addiction and dependence include:

  • Obsessive thoughts or actions related to drugs or alcohol
  • Loss of control over their drug or alcohol use
  • Denial of their problem

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Understanding Psychological Vs Physical Dependence

Dependence isnt one-size-fits-all. People who become dependent on drugs or alcohol can be psychologically or physically dependent on substances. Its also common for people to experience both types of dependence.

Psychological dependence is when someone uses drugs or alcohol in response to certain triggers, or stressful events. For some people, that could be as simple as going to the grocery store or seeing a certain person. When they are triggered, it creates changes in the brain that influence addictive behaviors.

Physical dependence develops when someone uses drugs or alcohol consistently over a long period of time. Eventually, the body becomes dependent on the substance which causes cells and other essential systems to start to function differently. When the person stops taking drugs and the substance leaves the body, withdrawal symptoms set in because the body has become used to the chemical presence. Experiencing withdrawal symptoms is often what fuels addiction.

Dependence and addiction are serious diseases that can be difficult to overcome without professional treatment. Jordan Peterson, a famed clinical psychologist, is a recent example of how dependence can be potentially lethal. After developing a severe addiction to benzodiazepines, Peterson had to be medically detoxed which involved being put into an induced coma for eight days. According to his family, Peterson nearly died several times during the detox process.

What Is The Difference Between Alcohol Addiction And Dependence

Alcohol addiction and dependence are two different things. Alcohol addiction is a mental disorder, while dependence is a physical dependence on alcohol.

Addiction is characterized by compulsively seeking out and using alcohol, even though it causes negative consequences. Addiction is a chronic disease that can be difficult to overcome.

Dependence occurs when your body becomes physically dependent on alcohol. If you try to stop drinking, you may experience withdrawal symptoms like anxiety, shaking, and nausea. Dependence is a physical condition that can be treated with detox and rehabilitation.

If youre struggling with an alcohol addiction, seek help from a mental health professional. If youre dependent on alcohol, talk to your doctor about treatment options.

Most people know that there is a difference between alcoholism and alcohol dependence, but few know what that difference is. Here we will explore the two conditions in more depth so that you can better understand the distinction.

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The Difference Between Drug Addiction And Dependence

The main difference between dependence and addiction and most simple way to differentiate between the two is that dependence is when a drug is required to and allows someone to maintain normal functioning, whereas, conversely, addiction actually interferes with an individuals normal functioning. The treatment for these two conditions differs. People who are dependent on a drug or alcohol must detox from that substance dependence can be managed and resolved through slowly lowering the dosage through tapering. They also may be prescribed medications to help them avoid relapse and will almost definitely also attend counseling and group therapy to stay off the drug in the future. Addiction recovery treatment certainly also includes counseling and group therapy, but it may or may not require detoxing. Furthermore, treatment for addiction must also seek the root of the problem in the individual, which may be related to mental health issues, depression, or anxiety.

Substance Dependence And Abuse

Physical Dependence Vs Psychological Dependence

In the previous version of the DSM, a substance use disorder was classified as a mild form of addiction, substance abuse disorder was used to describe moderate addiction, and substance dependence was used to describe severe addictions. These classifications changed in 2013 and the terms are no longer used to differentiate mild, moderate, or severe forms of addiction. A person with 2-3 symptoms would be classified as mild, 4-5 as moderate, and 6 or more as severe.

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What Is Drug Dependence

You can define drug dependence by the effects that the drug has on you. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse , drug dependence is defined by the presence of withdrawal symptoms when a person stops using a drug.

Withdrawal symptoms vary based on the substance being used, but they are often uncomfortable. For instance, caffeine will typically cause mild withdrawal symptoms such as headaches and irritability, while opioids can cause more serious withdrawal symptoms like rapid heartbeat, hallucinations, and seizures.

NIDA also notes that tapering off of a drug, rather than stopping it abruptly, is typically required for a more comfortable withdrawal process once someone has become dependent. It’s also important to note that the presence of dependence does not automatically indicate addiction.

What Is Drug Addiction

Addiction to a drug or alcohol is something that is rooted in the brain. It is a condition where you have strong mental and physical cravings for the substance. These mental cravings occur after your brain has gone through physical changes after using the drug or alcohol. Your brain is rewired biochemically to a point where it craves the drug. Cravings can lead to uncontrolled use and can take a toll on every aspect of your life.

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What Does It Mean To Be Dependent On A Substance

Although you can misuse substances while being dependent on them, there’s a significant distinction between the two. The Cambridge Dictionary describes dependency as needing something or someone in order to be able to function. In regard to substance use, this could manifest as someone feeling as though they need the substance to get through their day. Johns Hopkins Medicine reports that needing increased amounts of the substance to feel the same effect, isolating oneself from social activities, and spending a lot of time to get and use the substances are some signs of dependence.

The Addiction Center shares how someone who is dependent on a substance may experience physical withdrawal symptoms when they try to stop using the substance. Although dependence and addiction are different, the Addiction Center explains how dependence can develop into addiction. Someone can also be mentally dependent on a substance, where a trigger they associate with the substance can tempt them to use again. Some examples of these triggers could be an emotion, a person, or a place. For instance, if someone who struggles with dependence on alcohol is accustomed to drinking with their friends at a restaurant, hanging out with those friends at the same place could trigger their feelings of dependence.

Signs And Symptoms You May Have A Problem With Drug Abuse

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How can you tell whether you have a problem with drug abuse? It can be challenging to monitor your own behavior.

If you started experimenting with drugs on an occasional basis out of curiosity or because you wanted to fit in with peers or feel grown-up, you may not have developed an addiction yet. You may not have built up a tolerance for any chemicals, which means getting high would be easy.

However, if your drug use continues, you may develop the following symptoms of drug abuse:

  • Drug and alcohol use are no longer just something you do on weekends. They are now something you do on weekdays, too.
  • You find you are drinking more and/or doing greater quantities of drugs to get the same effect because you have developed a tolerance.
  • Most, if not all, of your friends, are also involved in drinking and drug use. These are your main social activities.
  • You find yourself spending more and more time and attention thinking about the next time you will be able to drink and/or use drugs.
  • Blackouts are not an uncommon occurrence for you anymore. You find yourself asking, What happened last night? more often.

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Principles Of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research

Yes. Addictionor compulsive drug use despite harmful consequencesis characterized by an inability to stop using a drug failure to meet work, social, or family obligations and, sometimes , tolerance and withdrawal. The latter reflect physical dependence in which the body adapts to the drug, requiring more of it to achieve a certain effect and eliciting drug-specific physical or mental symptoms if drug use is abruptly ceased . Physical dependence can happen with the chronic use of many drugsincluding many prescription drugs, even if taken as instructed. Thus, physical dependence in and of itself does not constitute addiction, but it often accompanies addiction. This distinction can be difficult to discern, particularly with prescribed pain medications, for which the need for increasing dosages can represent tolerance or a worsening underlying problem, as opposed to the beginning of substance use or addiction.

How To Know If I Am Dependent On A Drug

To truly know if you are dependent requires abstaining from the substance of choice. The timeline of withdrawal will depend on the substance but in most cases, the psychological withdrawal will appear within the first 24 hours.

If you are physically dependent on the drug, you may experience physical withdrawals within the first day or two.

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Signs Of Prescription Painkiller Dependency

As you are treated for post-surgical pain, back pain, pain from an injury, migraine pain, or chronic pain, be aware of the following signs you or someone you care for may have developed a dependency on prescription pain relievers:

  • Increased Dosage. Higher levels of the medication are needed to provide pain relief because tolerance has built up over time.
  • Continued Use. Continuing to use the medication after the condition for which it was originally prescribed has resolved is a sign of dependence on the drug. Some people may ask to take the painkillers just a little longer when a non-narcotic pain reliever may be indicated.
  • Changes in Mood and/or Energy. Behavioral changes may indicate a sign of dependency on prescription-strength painkillers. Lower energy levels and difficulty concentrating can indicate a persons main focus is on obtaining and using the prescription drugs.
  • Social Withdrawal: A sudden lack of interest in spending time with family and friends may indicate an issue with prescription painkiller dependency.

So Whats The Difference

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The main difference between alcoholism and alcohol dependence is that alcoholism is characterized by a strong craving for alcohol, while alcohol dependence is characterized by a need to drink alcohol to function. Alcoholism is also often associated with other problems, such as financial and legal problems, while alcohol dependence is not. If you or someone you know seems to be struggling with either alcoholism or alcohol dependence, it is important to seek professional help. There are many resources available to help people overcome these conditions and live healthy, productive lives.

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The Difference Between Dependence And Addiction

In traditional diagnoses, addiction generally referred to a persons physical reliance on alcohol, drugs, and other substances and behaviors, while dependence was viewed more as the psychological reliance on addictive behavior. Its a scenario that pits addiction versus abuse or addiction versus dependence. But increasingly in recent years, that view has flip-flopped a bit.

Today, medical experts refer to dependence usually around a persons constant drug and alcohol abuse. Conversely, chronically addictive behaviors like compulsive sex, constant gambling, and even non-stop Internet usage can be seen as an addiction.

The World Health Organization uses a definition of dependence that describes a collection of different characteristics that grow to become a much higher priority in a persons life than other previous behaviors that were more important at one time. Consider the case of an emerging marijuana smoker or pill-taker. At first, starting this behavior is an extra activity, but as the user becomes more dependent on the high, it can turn into the main activity. This is where dependency can turn into full-blown addictionwhen substance abuse becomes the all-encompassing main priority.

What Does Dependence Mean

Unlike addiction, which stresses the interplay of both biological and psychological influences for its development, dependence only refers to the physical state associated. It is a condition where drugs have to be taken for the physical well-being. Without the necessary dose, the individual might have a physical reaction which is negative. The reason for this is that since the body has become accustomed to the drug, the removal creates a peculiar state in the body that comes out as a negative reaction. Some such reactions are nausea, sweating, racing heart, diarrhea, etc. However, these reactions are not psychological. When a drug has been used for a longer period, the body begins to grow a tolerance towards the drug making it necessary to consume a higher dose for the reaction that was initially experienced. Withdrawal from drugs can also be a rather painful experience especially at the initial phase since there is a physical yearning for drugs.

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