Addiction vs Dependence Difference and Comparison

But when people withdraw from these medications, they do not crave them and once successfully tapered, they do not have recurrent use. In contrast, craving and recurrent use are common symptoms of addiction, particularly during early stages of recovery. In 2013, the American Psychological Association (APA) released the fifth edition of the DSM.

What is drug addiction?

It’s common for a person to relapse, but relapse doesn’t mean that treatment doesn’t work. As with other chronic health conditions, treatment should be ongoing and should be adjusted based on how the patient responds. Treatment plans need to be reviewed often and modified to fit the patient’s changing needs. People used to believe that addiction only happened in certain areas, like in inner cities, or among specific groups of people, like those who were down and  out. But addictions can happen anywhere, from college campuses to rural and suburban towns.

You deserve excellent care and a rewarding life in recovery.

• Tolerance occurs when a person needs increasingly larger amounts of a substance to achieve the same effect over time.
• Stopping suddenly will likely cause symptoms, and they can be serious.
• You may have heard the phrase mental dependence and physical dependence and wondered to yourself, “what are the differences?
• These changes primarily occur in the brain’s reward system, particularly within areas like the nucleus accumbens and the prefrontal cortex.
• You may assume that certain substances are more addictive than others, and that is partially true, Mr. Kump says.
• SUD results in compulsive behaviors that manifest as cravings, an inability to control use, and continued use of the drug despite its harmful consequences.

Tolerance and dependence are essential indicators of drug use, but it’s a misconception that they only develop after long-term, chronic use. These symptoms, including withdrawal, define physical dependence, which can occur even with short-term use in some cases. It’s crucial to differentiate between addiction and physical dependence to avoid real-life severe consequences. Unlike addiction, dependence is primarily a biological response to the presence of a drug.

Understanding The Dependence Vs. Addiction Debate

But with continued use, a person’s ability to exert self-control can become seriously impaired. Consider how a social drinker can become intoxicated, get behind the wheel of a car, and quickly turn a pleasurable activity into a tragedy that affects many lives. Occasional drug use, such as misusing an opioid to get high, can have similarly disastrous effects, including impaired driving and overdose. But our genetic makeup doesn’t necessarily rule our choices and our lives.

Addiction Resource addiction vs dependence does not favor or support any specific recovery center, nor do we claim to ensure the quality, validity, or effectiveness of any particular treatment center. No one should assume the information provided on Addiction Resource as authoritative and should always defer to the advice and care provided by a medical doctor. Medical and substance abuse communities have found that there are neurochemical differences between a normal brain and an addict’s brain.

• According to these guidelines, the presence of two or three symptoms suggests a mild substance use disorder, while four or five symptoms indicate a moderate disorder.
• In the 1980s, the American Psychological Association sought to change this definition in the DSM (the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).
• This change also provided clarity, since previously, the definition of dependence was narrower and only referred to physiological dependence.
• When addiction to a substance develops, it is called substance use disorder.
• You are dependent if you stop taking the drug and experience withdrawal symptoms.