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Drug addiction is a physical and/or psychological need for a drug that interferes with a person’s ability to cope without it. Tolerance is the body’s need for higher doses of a substance. Withdrawal symptoms occur when an addict tries to stop using the substance. Treatment involves counseling, drug therapy, and self-help techniques.
Drug addiction is substance dependence which is the physical and/or psychological need for a drug. When drug use becomes central to a person’s life and interferes with their ability to cope without the drug, addiction is likely. An addiction to drugs tends to involve the user associating with other addicts as well as behavioral and health changes. Withdrawal symptoms occur when an addict tries to stop using the substance, so treatment is usually done gradually with medical supervision.
When drug use is repeated beyond the prescribed use, it often leads to a pattern of drug addiction and tolerance. Tolerance is the body’s need for higher or more frequent doses of a substance to achieve the same effect. It occurs when the body has learned to tolerate or get used to the substance. Taking a prescribed drug in the doses advised by a doctor for a short period of time for a particular purpose is not addiction, but going beyond such usage could easily lead to an addiction.
When addiction or addiction is reached, stopping the drug or failing to take high enough doses will result in withdrawal. The specific withdrawal symptoms depend on each drug, but addicts commonly experience anxiety, sweating, shakiness, nausea, vomiting, and body aches. Several withdrawal symptoms can include confusion and hallucinations. Hallucinations are the experience of seeing, hearing, or feeling things that don’t actually exist.
Not all drugs are addictive, and not all drugs are equally addictive. Some drugs cause physical dependence, while others cause more psychological dependence. Still others have both properties in terms of drug addiction. Alcohol can be both psychologically and physically addictive. Heroin and morphine are highly physically addictive, while marijuana, cocaine and ecstasy are thought to be more psychologically addictive.
Treatment for drug addiction should be done on an individual basis. Treatment of substance dependence can consist of a combination of counseling, drug therapy, and self-help techniques. Self-help options include the addict seeking help from sources such as treatment centers and books. Drug therapy, or pharmacotherapy, is a controlled amount of medication that is gradually reduced and given to an addict to help prevent severe withdrawal symptoms. Addiction counseling comes in several types and may involve family therapy and behavior therapy to help the addict learn to live without drugs.
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