Tolerance, Physical Dependence, Addiction: the Differences

People who are addicted develop a physical and psychological reliance on a substance that leads them to go to extreme lengths to continue taking it. To confuse matters further, “substance dependence” was then changed to “substance use disorder” in the new DSM-5. The intention was to simplify the phrasing by grouping substance abuse and substance dependence into one category.

• Addiction, on the other hand, is a mental disease that includes both physical and psychological dependence and is manifested via behavioral symptoms, most notably continued use of the substance in spite of clear harmful effects on the individual and their family.
• Most drugs affect the brain’s “reward circuit,” causing euphoria as well as flooding it with the chemical messenger dopamine.
• The term “addiction” is much more complicated, and there still remains considerable debate in the medical community about exactly how to define it—for example, whether it’s best conceptualized within a disease model, a learning model, or something in between.
• Most commonly, the cases are related to marijuana and prescription pain relievers.
• Addictions are more likely to result in serious harm, including suicide, unlike tolerance and physical dependence.

Differences Between Substance Abuse, Dependence, & Addiction

Finally, there’s the myth that if you relapse after beating your addiction, you have failed. Just like with other diseases, sometimes you need multiple treatments or repeat treatments. If you or someone close to you is struggling with substance misuse or abuse, talk to your doctor. Regardless of what term you use to describe a substance misuse issue, Mr. Kump emphasizes that the key is to understand that treatment is available. You may assume that certain substances are more addictive than others, and that is partially true, Mr. Kump says. Most people today seem to use the terms “addiction” and “dependency” interchangeably.

Different Parts of the Brain Affected

• Could someone who is dependent on alcohol or drugs be diagnosed as having an addiction?
• Even the people who dedicate their lives to researching addiction and who are responsible for the very medical texts that we use to diagnose addiction haven’t arrived at a clear consensus about which terms to use when.
• These brain adaptations often lead to the person becoming less and less able to derive pleasure from other things they once enjoyed, like food, sex, or social activities.
• Mental dependence is when a person relies on a substance or behavior to cope with emotional challenges.
• Since he can’t stop even though he wants to, his dependence has turned into an addiction.

(Substance use disorder, or SUD, is a preferred term in the scientific community.) Because of this lack of consistency, some ground rules can help differentiate between the two terms. When addiction to a substance develops, it is called substance use disorder. But because the body has adapted to its presence, a person may experience negative effects if they lower the dosage or stop taking it altogether. In this article, we look at the https://ecosoberhouse.com/ differences between addiction and dependence and explore definitions, examples, and differences in treatment. The terms “addiction” and “dependence” can seem similar, but they are different. In this editorial the authors propose changes to policies at the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SNRT) and the Nicotine & Tobacco Research (N&TR) journal to limit the influence of the tobacco industry on science and related harms.

Similar articles in PubMed

Addiction, on the other hand, is a mental disease that includes both physical and psychological dependence and is manifested via behavioral symptoms, most notably continued use of the substance in spite of clear harmful effects on the individual and their family. 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).

Addictive disorders are highly treatable, and treatment at an inpatient or outpatient rehab can greatly increase the likelihood of long-term sobriety. People with physical dependence may benefit from inpatient detox or rehab to ensure a safe and successful withdrawal, and anyone with an addiction should seek out addiction treatment. If you or a loved one is struggling with drug or alcohol dependence, reach out today to a treatment specialist to explore what treatment options are available. For a person to be diagnosed with a substance abuse disorder, they must be consistently using alcohol or drugs. As a result, their usage must be causing them psychological or physical impairment. Individuals with SUD often experience health issues, legal problems, and job loss due to their substance abuse.

Understanding Drug Use and Addiction DrugFacts

Most drugs affect the brain’s “reward circuit,” causing euphoria as well as flooding it with the chemical messenger dopamine. A properly functioning reward system motivates a person to repeat behaviors needed to thrive, such as eating and spending time with loved ones. Surges of dopamine in the reward circuit cause the reinforcement of pleasurable but unhealthy behaviors like taking drugs, addiction vs dependence leading people to repeat the behavior again and again. Herbert D. Kleber, M.D., will lead off with a discussion of the nature of addiction, developments in the treatment field, and reasons the public lacks faith in treatment as a method of combating substance abuse. He is executive vice president and medical director of the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.

• A history of sexual abuse seems to be a factor in whether women abuse alcohol, the report noted.
• Almost 50 percent fewer adults now smoke, but that trend stalled in 1990.
• The initial decision to take drugs is voluntary for most people, but repeated drug use can lead to brain changes that challenge an addicted person’s self-control and interfere with their ability to resist intense urges to take drugs.
• Addiction manifests as a combination of physical, mental, and behavioral symptoms.
• Results from NIDA-funded research have shown that prevention programs involving families, schools, communities, and the media are effective for preventing or reducing drug use and addiction.

But our genetic makeup doesn’t necessarily rule our choices and our lives. For example, social drinkers with a family history of addiction have a 1 in 5 risk of misusing alcohol, he says. He also sees people who have taken heroin without developing an addiction, yet they can’t seem to stop smoking and give up nicotine. Alcohol, on the other hand, often follows a slower, more insidious path of abuse before the body becomes dependent on it. He sees some people who took just a few weeks to develop an addiction to opioids, while others had a slower journey to their addiction.

If you prioritize drug use over your colleagues or loved ones, you might face serious consequences. In traditional diagnoses, ‘addiction’ generally referred to a person’s physical reliance on alcohol, drugs, and other substances and behaviors, while ‘dependence’ was viewed more as the psychological reliance on addictive behavior. It’s a scenario that pits addiction versus abuse or addiction versus dependence.

Participants with ACE scores lower than four were assigned mild exposure (ME), and those with more than or equal to four were assigned severe exposure (SE) (46–48). In fact, we should be re-thinking how we approach all non-abstainers within substance use treatment settings and that’s why ASAM drafted the Clinical Considerations for Engagement and Retention of Non-Abstinent Patients in Substance Use Treatment. It’s open to public comment for only a few more weeks so take a look and tell us your thoughts. With that in mind, we have learned to be suspicious of the tobacco industry (and its derivatives).