What is Drug Abuse and Drug Addiction
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- Overview
- What It Is
- Causes
- Risk Factors
- Diagnosis
- Symptoms
- Prognosis
- Living With
- Complications
- User Questions
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- Screening
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- Care Guide
- Questions for Your Doctor
- When to Contact a Doctor
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- Resource Guide
Drug Abuse and Drug Addiction Definition
Drug abuse is a disease characterized by continued misuse of drugs even when faced with drug-related job, legal, health, or family difficulties. Problems associated with drug abuse must have existed a minimum of 12 months to meet the diagnosis.
Drug dependence refers to long-term, compulsive drug use, perhaps with attempts to stop but repeatedly returns to drug use. Drug dependence also means that your body has begun to require the drug in higher doses to avoid withdrawal symptoms.
Drug abuse and drug dependence are not terms that should be used to describe people who are taking appropriate dosages of prescribed drugs (pain medication, for example) and who have become physically dependent on them. Diagnosis of both drug abuse and drug dependence requires the presence of specific behavioral symptoms.
Some of the most commonly abused substances include:
- Cocaine Use Disorder
- Opioid Abuse
- Morphine
- LSD
- Marijuana
- Sedatives
- Speed (methamphetamine, “crystal meth”)
- PCP
- Ecstasy
- GHB
- Ketamine
- Steroids
- Inhalants
- Prescription Drug Addiction that are used improperly or without a prescription, such as:
- Narcotic painkillers
- Amphetamines
- Drugs for treating Anxiety
- Sleeping pills
