Addiction vs Dependence: Whats the Difference? Delphi

What these opioid overdoses show, according to an article in Scientific American, is how increased tolerance of the drug can lead to higher chemical dependence on the side effects. The pain-killing effects of the drug bring about higher tolerance levels. And as the user takes higher amounts to feed this side, the secondary effects of respiratory depression (slowed down breathing or lack of breathing) and breathing are doubled or tripled. It is in this so-called differential tolerance where the users usually overdose. For instance, someone who is on a prescription for pain medication may find that he needs increasing amounts of dosage for the medication to work.

• Quoting Bob Dole, the Republican nominee, newspaper accounts blame the Clinton administration’s “silence on the matter” for the recent increase in substance abuse among adolescents.
• Most people today seem to use the terms “addiction” and “dependency” interchangeably.
• 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.
• In part to address this problem, a change proposed for DSM-V is to alter the chapter name to ‘Addiction and Related Disorders’, which will include disordered gambling.
• The extent of the impact of substance abuse on U.S. society calls for a review of federal intervention efforts, whether at the level of supply reduction, treatment, or prevention.

In the long run, the increasing proportion of young people using drugs will probably result in continued pressure on the substance abuse treatment system in future years, as many new drug users progress to addiction and require intervention. Many patients are often confused as to how they can be dependent on a drug, such as an opioid, but not be addicted to it. The distinction is essential for patients and caregivers to understand. This is why recent evidence-based literature clearly defines the difference between addiction and physical dependence in drug use. Clinicians, however, pointed out that the word ‘dependence’ was already in use to mean something completely different and normal. After much discussion and debate, the word ‘dependence’ was chosen by the margin of a single vote.

Drugs & Supplements

This conflation of addiction with dependence, which stigmatizes effective medication treatment for opioid use disorder, is even enshrined in law. This can lead to traumatic family surveillance and even separation, not surprisingly disproportionately impacting Black, Latinx, and Native American families because of racist implementation in these reporting practices. According to the DSM-5, it is possible to meet diagnostic criteria for a substance use disorder without having tolerance and withdrawal symptoms.

That said, for many, but not all, substances, tolerance and withdrawal are often part of the package of symptoms of a substance use disorder. It is no secret that misinformation about addiction is rampant in popular media. One particular area of misinformation concerns how the use of language is employed when describing topics related to addiction. Recognizing the difference between an addiction and substance dependence can help to better understand the nature of addiction. Knowing as much as possible about addiction and dependence can also be a valuable tool in achieving recovery.

Treatment for Addiction and Dependence

Tobacco use accounted for all but 120,000 of those deaths, making it the most preventable cause of death and disease in the United States.11 The 1964 surgeon general’s report had a dramatic impact on smoking. Almost 50 percent fewer adults now smoke, but that trend stalled in 1990. Adolescents are using tobacco at higher rates than they did in 1991. https://ecosoberhouse.com/ This increase is reflected in the report that, every day, 3,000 children and teens begin smoking.12 The 1995 NHSDA reported also that, every day in 1994, approximately 6,300 individuals began using marijuana. The 1995 data reflect a continuing increase in the use of hallucinogens and inhalants, as well as marijuana, among the nation’s youth.

There are even perceived differences between addiction versus the abuse of a substance. A person who is chemically dependent on a drug might show different physiological changes around chronic usage, tolerance levels, and even withdrawal symptoms. When someone is addicted to a substance, it’s not uncommon for their loved ones to refer to them as having an “addiction” to certain behaviors or describe them as addiction vs dependence someone that is “dependent” on alcohol or drugs. People tend to use the words “addiction” and “dependent” interchangeably to describe a person’s behavior when engaged in a certain activity, as well as the results of the behavior when it leads to a physical illness. However, there are clear differences between the two terms, several of which deal with the chemical effects that happen to addicted persons.

Final thoughts on addiction vs dependence

Well, the phrase carries a negative connotation and is ambiguous, according to the DSM. The World Health Organization also believed it should be replaced with dependence in 1964, which is likely where the confusion stems. Some nuances can make it difficult to determine if someone is addicted or dependent on a substance.

You are dependent if you stop taking the drug and experience withdrawal symptoms. In order to address these problems, the proposed changes for DSM-V include some changes in terminology. Gambling disorder has been included in this section as anon-substance or behavioral addiction.

Addiction vs. dependence

In medical practice, to get a diagnosis of a substance use disorder, there first needs to be a careful diagnostic interview conducted by a mental health professional. The interviewer assesses whether there is a problematic pattern of substance use or behaviors that are causing a person distress and impairment in their functioning to the point that it’s considered clinically significant. This Forum session will provide an overview of the addiction process and the problems that arise from the use of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs.

• When someone is addicted to a substance, it’s not uncommon for their loved ones to refer to them as having an “addiction” to certain behaviors or describe them as someone that is “dependent” on alcohol or drugs.
• Treatment must address withdrawal symptoms and potential relapses if it occurs.
• These changes have already been presented publicly at meetings of the American Psychiatric Association, the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) and the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD).
• This conflation of addiction with dependence, which stigmatizes effective medication treatment for opioid use disorder, is even enshrined in law.

Addiction is marked by a change in behavior caused by the biochemical changes in the brain after continued substance abuse. Substance use becomes the main priority of the addict, regardless of the harm they may cause to themselves or others. An addiction causes people to act irrationally when they don’t have the substance they are addicted to in their system.

When does a drug dependence become a drug addiction?

Understanding these differences is not just vital for those grappling with these issues; it’s also critical for professionals to devise intervention strategies that address the specific needs of each individual. This recent upturn in illicit drug use among youths has important implications for substance abuse prevention and treatment efforts. … There is an obvious need to focus immediate attention on children and adolescents.