What is The Difference Between Substance Abuse and Addiction?

March 9th, 2015

The distinction between substance abuse and addiction is extremely slight. Substance abuse means utilizing an illicit substance or utilizing a legitimate substance in the wrong way. Addiction starts as abuse, or utilizing a substance like pot or cocaine, and then it can turn into something more which makes you enslaved to the drug until you are able to break free of the dependency on it.

You can abuse a drug (or liquor) without having a dependence on it. For instance, if someone smoked pot a couple times doesn’t imply that she has a habit, yet it does imply that she’s misusing a drug — and that could prompt an addiction if the habit continues over time. That’s what has to be watched for if there is concern about drug abuse in a person’s life.

Individuals can get dependent on different kinds of substances. When we consider addiction, we typically consider liquor or illicit drugs. At the same time individuals get dependent on food, cigarettes, even sniffing glue!

Furthermore, a few substances are more addictive than others: Drugs like crack or heroin are addictive to the point that they may just be utilized a few times before the client loses control. Sometimes, people will become addicted the first time that they even use the drug, thus starting the spiral quickly.

Addiction implies an individual has no power over whether he or she utilizes a substance. Somebody who’s dependent on cocaine has developed so used to the drug that he or she needs to have it. Dependence might be physical, mental, or both. It is difficult to break free of an addiction, as well, and if you do not do it the appropriate way, there are a number of negative things that can result from the abuse. If you think you have a substance abuse and addiction, get help today.