Addiction vs Dependence Comparing Definitions & Symptoms

Recognizing the difference between them can help you to speak with your providers, and also help you reach out if you have concerns. It takes courage to ask for help, and Clear Behavioral Health is here to provide you with multiple treatment options to fit your specific needs. Contact us today to learn more about our residential detox and rehab for withdrawal management and stabilization as well as our dual diagnosis outpatient programs for ongoing support.

• For example, social drinkers with a family history of addiction have a 1 in 5 risk of misusing alcohol, he says.
• But addictions can happen anywhere, from college campuses to rural and suburban towns.
• 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.
• According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), approximately 20 million people in the United States over the age of 12 experienced a substance use disorder in 2019.
• One of the main medical texts that are used by mental health professionals to diagnose addiction is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the DSM), which is currently in its fifth edition.

What Is Alcohol Abuse?

These centers also vary in terms of their provision of amenities, which range from basic to luxury options. Dependence, on the other hand, is characterized by a physical and psychological loss of control due to substance abuse. For example, physical dependence occurs when the body is reliant on the chemical interactions caused by a drug or substance. In this case, medical support may be required to help wean the individual off the drug. However, in this state, a person can be physically dependent on the medication, but not addicted.

RECOVERY PODCAST

Alcohol and drug treatment centers are well-equipped to assess your substance use and provide tailored, individualized recovery plans. Below is a list of the most common forms of substance abuse treatment programs and what they entail. Fortunately, Volkow and her colleagues’ argument carried the day with the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-5 committee in 2013. A person can have an addiction without necessarily having a physical dependence.

Diagnosing Substance Dependence

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. …resulted in confusion among clinicians regarding the difference between “dependence” in a DSM (IV) sense, which is really “addiction,” and “dependence” as a normal physiological adaptation to repeated dosing of a medication. The result is that clinicians who see evidence of tolerance and withdrawal symptoms assume that this means addiction, and patients requiring additional pain medication are made to suffer.

Physiological dependence is very common and can occur with many different kinds of substances, including those considered to be medications. 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. addiction vs dependence Several illegal drugs can often lead to both addiction and dependence.

How Long It Takes to Get Addicted to Oxycodone?

As a result, many physicians are ill-equipped to differentiate addiction from dependence due to a lack of expertise. Other professionals who diagnose addiction (e.g. social workers, physician assistants, nurse-practitioners, addiction counselors) also need better education about these distinctions. Chemical dependency is broader and may include other physical signs like an increasing tolerance to the substance, or withdrawal symptoms when someone tries to quit or cut down on using it. People can have just a physical dependence, addiction, or both at the same time. This is when a person depends on a substance or behavior emotionally, such as when stressed. Doctors may also prescribe certain medications to manage dependence and addiction.

Dependence treatment

If you or a loved one are experiencing dependence, it’s important to seek help and treatment as soon as possible. According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), addictive substances like alcohol and drugs cause changes in the brain that trigger intense cravings for the substance. Addiction and dependence are two separate conditions relating to substance abuse. Yet because the terms are used interchangeably, the line between them often gets blurred. For example,  » abuse  » may imply that the behavior is intentional and controllable and, therefore, a personal failure rather than a disease symptom. Referring to this condition as alcohol use disorder is more accurate and less stigmatizing.

Drug Dependence vs. Drug Addiction

What’s important to note is that drug dependence often leads to addiction. That being said, most opioid users do not become addicted to opioids. Understanding the distinction in the language is important in understanding treatments, symptoms, and risks. Perhaps you’ve had experience with addiction yourself or know someone who has. However, for something so widespread, its severity seems to go shockingly under the radar in our own communities, groups, and sometimes even families. Give us a call today to speak with one of our representatives about how Clear Behavioral Health can help you begin the healing process from alcohol or drug abuse and or mental disorders.

However, a person who is dependent on a drug may not addicted to it. Keep in mind, a physical dependence is usually a precursor to addiction, so it is important to recognize the signs of both. If you think you might have an alcohol problem, discuss it with a healthcare provider.