1. What Is the Difference Between Drug Abuse and Drug Addiction?
1. What is the difference between drug abuse and drug addiction? – Drug abuse and drug addiction are different conditions. Medically, problems with drug abuse and drug addiction (dependence) are each diagnosed with specific criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR). To be diagnosed with a drug abuse problem, a person would exhibit any one of four specific signs during a one-year period. To be diagnosed with a drug addiction or dependence problem, a person would exhibit any three out of seven specific signs during a one-year period. Some experts use other definitions for drug abuse and addiction exist. For example, abuse can be defined as any use of an illegal substance or the inappropriate use of a legal substance to produce pleasure, reduce stress, or escape reality (or all three). Even if the drug use doesn’t cause problems that need medical treatment (at least early on), this definition would include use of drugs for experimentation—which can still be harmful—and use of substances such as nicotine or alcohol by minors. Perhaps the primary distinction between abuse and addiction relates to the compulsion of an addict to get their next fix. The addict’s focus is almost exclusively on getting more of the drug. Addiction causes a person to lose control over his or her drug use—it is no longer a choice.
A Panther's Tale: Drug Abuse
Filed under: drug addiction definition
According to Merriam-Webster, the definition for drug abuse is “the habitual taking of addictive or illegal drugs, including alcohol.” Familiar or not, drug abuse is becoming an ever-growing problem in our communities. Drug abuse is not being taken as …
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Who Is Your Favorite Addict?
Filed under: drug addiction definition
All drugs are habit-forming, but only a subset of psychoactive drugs can produce psychological and physical dependence, tolerance, and withdrawal symptoms when taken away, the usual definition of addiction. Most people who become addicted to one drug …
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From Twitter:
@trishfish6 Unless you have a drug addiction that I’m not aware of, I’m sure you wouldn’t fall under my definition of “problem child.” – by anneyilmaz (Anne Yilmaz)