For example, a person may become dependent on a pain medication prescribed by their doctor. While the person has difficulties physically withdrawing from the drug, they don’t have an intense or compulsive psychological or physiological need for it. To confuse matters further, “substance dependence” was then changed to “substance use disorder” in the new DSM-5. The intention was to simplify the phrasing by grouping substance abuse and substance dependence into one category. This change also provided clarity, since previously, the definition of dependence was narrower and only referred to physiological dependence.
Addiction vs Dependence: What’s the Difference?
Most people today seem to use the terms “addiction” and “dependency” interchangeably. Dr. Kevin Wandler of Advanced Recovery Systems warns that addictive drugs, such as nicotine, can cause dependence. What these strategies are depends on the substance or behavior a person wants to stop. Dependence can happen with many drugs, even when a person takes them as per their doctor’s instructions. Unlike addiction, dependence does not necessarily involve difficulty controlling behavior. According to a 2021 research article, healthcare professionals often misunderstand them, which can lead to misdiagnosis.
Addiction Is a Disease; Tolerance and Dependence Aren’t
There is still much debate about whether many behavioral addictions are “true” addictions. While shopping addiction, sex addiction, and exercise addiction are often noted as behavioral addictions, the DSM-5 does not officially recognize these addiction vs dependence as distinct disorders. The term addiction is used to describe compulsive drug-seeking behaviors that continue in spite of negative outcomes, but it is important to note that addiction is not considered an official diagnosis in the DSM-5.
- As with other addictions, it plays a role in behavioral addictions like compulsive shopping or binge eating.
- The term substance use disorder (SUD) is the preferred way of saying it in the scientific community.
- The terms “addiction” and “dependence” can seem similar, but they are different.
- However, in this state, a person can be physically dependent on the medication, but not addicted.
Is There a Difference Between Physical Dependence and Addiction?
Withdrawal symptoms and the need for higher doses can arise, and some individuals may also develop an addiction when misusing these medications for their sedative effects, be they prescribed or purchased on the street. Physical addiction primarily involves tolerance, or the body’s adaptation to a substance’s presence, often marked by accompanying withdrawal symptoms upon discontinuation https://ecosoberhouse.com/ of the substance use. People who are physically dependent require increasing amounts of the substance to achieve the same effect and experience discomfort when trying to quit due to withdrawal symptoms. Addiction is a chronic, treatable condition that involves complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the surrounding environment, and life experiences.
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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. But the ICD has yet to catch up and since American billing systems and other records often rely on ICD, this conflation continues to cause problems both in the United States and rest of the world. There is no justification for keeping this misleading term in light of what we now know about the nature of addiction. For one, depending on a substance to avoid physical withdrawal symptoms is neither necessary nor sufficient to define addiction. Many drugs cause dependence but not addiction, for example, paroxetine [10] and clonidine [11]. But when people withdraw from these medications, they do not crave them and once successfully tapered, they do not have recurrent use.
- Most types of addiction include physical dependence—but that’s not always true.
- If you find yourself struggling to control your alcohol or drug use, you’re not alone.
- «The most dramatic rescue was when Janis Joplin ODed in the Haight.» The HAFC served as a meeting site for 12-step programs such as Narcotics Anonymous and referred patients to Alcoholics Anonymous groups in the neighborhood.
- The opioid crisis is so bad that the U.S. government declared a public health emergency.
Psychological vs. Physiological Aspects
Abandoning The Terms
- For example, if you take a sedative to sleep, it may work very well at the first dose.
- The only way to overcome this is by accepting you have a problem and reaching out for help.
- Addiction is defined as the behavior of someone who keeps abusing substances, despite negative consequences.
- You can also find a list of treatment centers near you on our website to help get you on the path to recovery.
- As substance abuse becomes more frequent, the likelihood of developing a dependence disorder becomes greater.
- Anyone with an addiction can get help at any point if they feel it’s the right time.