Substance use, abuse, and addiction

porAssentec

Substance use, abuse, and addiction

Physical dependence on a substance (drug or alcohol) may be a component of addiction, but it does not itself equal addiction. Dependence is characterized by tolerance or withdrawal symptoms, and can be a consequence of many drugs, such as pain medications, stimulants, and antidepressants. Treatment for physical dependence involves helping your body adjust to receiving less of a drug until it is no longer dependent. You may go through a detoxification program at a drug treatment center, which helps you go through withdrawal in a safe environment.

Outside of The Freedom Center, Corey enjoys playing golf, hiking and most of all being the best father to his three young boys. James Scribner holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. His career began working in the accounting industry as a financial auditor.

Difference Between Dependence and Tolerance

Dependence situations demand the need for skilled therapists, counselors, and medical practitioners. Reach out to our staff at The Recovery Village to learn more about how we treat substance issues, chemical dependency, and behavioral addiction. The National Institute on Drug Abuse notes that tolerance occurs in a drug or alcohol user when the user needs more of the drug or alcohol to get the same effect that occurred https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/addiction-vs-dependence-what-is-the-difference/ during the initial periods of intake. It’s a grim scenario that unfortunately is found in many drug abuse cases year after year. 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. Some doctors may diagnose this as an increasing tolerance, or it might be disguised as the possible start of an addiction issue.

Mary is an experienced Client Care Manager with 20+ years in customer service. She excels at problem-solving and takes pride in delivering tailored solutions. Mary builds strong client relationships, ensuring satisfaction with each interaction. Her attention to detail and communication skills are valuable assets. Mary goes above and beyond to exceed expectations and is dedicated to outstanding service.

Dependence

The main difference between tolerance and dependence is that tolerance refers to the body getting used to taking a substance and requiring higher doses. Dependence, however, refers to the physical or psychological symptoms that occur that make someone feel like they must continue taking a substance. When someone develops a tolerance, they will likely develop a dependence with continued use. Caffeine is an example of a common substance that causes physical dependence. If you can’t function properly in the morning without your cup of coffee, it could be that you are caffeine-dependent. When you miss your morning cup, you might develop physical withdrawal symptoms, like a headache, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and more.

Conversely, their ability to deal with day-to-day life may become impaired and lead them to make poor choices. Alexandra oversees all operations with The Freedom Center to ensure clients are given the best chance at success. She works with The Freedom Center team to develop and implement policies, procedures and oversees Intakes and Transportation. Alexandra works with Admissions and Clinical Departments for scheduling client admissions, transfers, discharges and outside appointments while maintaining positive relationships with all clients. Her primary focus is to provide all clients with a safe, structured environment while coordinating their care.

Dependence vs. Addiction

It certainly isn’t something you could detect by just looking at someone, and the terms are often used interchangeably when anyone speaks on the consequences of long-term drug use. Each term conveys a distinct way in which repeated drug use has affected a person’s body, mind, and behavior. While most people are familiar with the concept of addiction, that is just one of the ways that drug use can affect a person. A drug addiction’s clear signs and symptoms differ based on the substance. There are some general signs that the user and those around them can use to determine whether experimentation has led to a more severe addiction.

When the body physically depends on alcohol, it relies on it to feel normal. Without the alcohol, withdrawal symptoms like the ones highlighted above begin. Addiction is a disease characterized by behavioral issues, and dependence refers to a physical reliance on a substance. The two conditions often occur at the same time, but a person can be dependent on a substance without being addicted to it. As the Medical Director, Mark works with the staff to coordinate the appropriate level of care for each individual client.

Additional training in assessment and diagnosis for physician trainees at the medical school level is also needed. Most medical schools only devote a few hours over four years to teaching addiction medicine, a mere fraction of the time devoted to other chronic diseases encountered in general practice [8]. 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. Abuse and dependence are defined on a scale that measures the time and degree of substance use. As substance abuse becomes more frequent, the likelihood of developing a dependence disorder becomes greater.