{"id":4131,"date":"2023-11-21T08:08:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-21T13:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mickeylieberman.com\/addictions\/?p=4131"},"modified":"2023-10-28T19:37:43","modified_gmt":"2023-10-29T00:37:43","slug":"what-is-the-difference-between-use-abuse-and-addiction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mickeylieberman.com\/addictions\/what-is-the-difference-between-use-abuse-and-addiction\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the Difference Between Use, Abuse and Addiction?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Difference Between Use, Abuse and Addiction<\/span><\/p>\n

The term “Use” means an appropriate consumption or amount of either alcohol or some other drug.<\/span><\/p>\n

The appropriate use of some type of a chemical means that the consumer is using the chemical at:<\/span><\/p>\n

1. The appropriate time<\/span>
\n2. In an appropriate place<\/span>
\n3. In the proper quantity.<\/span><\/p>\n

It involves using the drug in a way that it was meant to be used and by an individual defined as an appropriate consumer.<\/span><\/p>\n

When a minor uses alcohol or any other non-prescribed drug that either alters his\/her mood, it is considered abuse.<\/span><\/p>\n

Any consumption of an illegal drug, by anyone, is considered abuse.<\/span><\/p>\n

When someone takes a prescription medication that was actually prescribed to someone else, it is considered abuse.<\/span><\/p>\n

This constitutes using the chemical in a manner that is inconsistent with its intended purposes.<\/span><\/p>\n

This could include:<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Taking a prescription drug in a manner not prescribed (quantity, form, or frequency).<\/span>
\n2. It could mean consuming the chemical at an improper time or place.<\/span>
\n3. It could involve drinking excessive amounts of alcohol to get drunk.<\/span><\/p>\n

The actual consumption of a chemical or alcohol is also considered abusive when the chemical takes on elevated importance in the life of the consumer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Abuse also involves continued consumption of alcohol or the chemical, despite adverse consequences.<\/span><\/p>\n

Someone who drinks too much or too often could still be abusing alcohol, rather than being considered dependent on alcohol or an alcoholic.<\/span><\/p>\n

The diagnostic criteria for abuse usually include a set of symptoms that do not satisfy the criteria for dependence.<\/span><\/p>\n

This could include symptoms such as these:<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Continued drinking despite problems in various areas of a drinker’s life.<\/span>
\n2. Having an impaired ability to take care of one’s roles and responsibilities.<\/span>
\n3. Drinking in situations that are dangerous (drunk driving).<\/span><\/p>\n

Alcohol and\/or the consumption of other drugs is considered an addiction or dependence if the previous criteria are present, with additional symptoms that include:<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Consuming alcohol or other drugs in larger amounts over a longer time.<\/span>
\n2. Failure to reduce use or stop consumption.<\/span>
\n3. Spending a great deal of time trying to obtain the chemical, including alcohol, using it, and recovering from using it.<\/span>
\n4. Eliminating, abandoning, or reducing important life activities because of the chemical.<\/span>
\n5. Tolerance to the effects of alcohol or other drugs<\/span>
\n6. The presence or emergence of withdrawal symptoms when quitting or cutting back usage.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tolerance is the need to consume more of the chemical to get the same result or the effects, as the same amount of the chemical has a reduced effect.<\/span><\/p>\n

Withdrawal symptoms involve both physical and psychological symptoms that occur when the chemical is suddenly stopped or significantly reduced.<\/span><\/p>\n

The actual progression of addiction from the first consumption of the chemical to the end-stage may involve some or all the previous symptoms, beginning with “using”, then progressing to “abusing” and finally to “dependence” or “addiction”.<\/span><\/p>\n

For some people, “using” will not progress into the subsequent stages. For others, consumption may get to the next level and stop.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alcoholics or addicts typically progress from using to dependence. The progression can occur quickly or slowly.<\/span><\/p>\n

An alcoholic, in denial, can exhibit the symptoms of alcoholism to a trained professional) for a long time, before they have an awareness of their own addiction.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once a person’s consumption becomes an addiction, they cannot go back to “abusing”.<\/span><\/p>\n

For some people, the progression to addiction begins with the very first use of alcohol and\/or other drugs.<\/span><\/p>\n

For other people, there might exist a period of responsible consumption of alcohol and\/or prescription drugs that will persist over time.<\/span><\/p>\n

This occurs before the pattern progresses to the subsequent stages and ultimately into an addiction.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some people have or experience a genetic predisposition to addiction. Others do not, but they become addicted over time, because of their behavior.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are some people who experience alcohol and\/or drug dependence in their families and in their genetic predispositions, but they do not get addicted.<\/span><\/p>\n

While it helps to distinguish between using, abusing, and addiction, you must keep this in mind.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Using” may not be simply “using”. If you have any genetic and\/or other environmental, emotional, and behavioral risk factors, “Using” could be the beginning stage of your progression to addiction.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Difference Between Use, Abuse and Addiction The term “Use” means an appropriate consumption or amount of either alcohol or some other drug. The appropriate use…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"What is the Difference Between Use, Abuse and Addiction? - Addictions","description":"Difference Between Use, Abuse and Addiction The term \"Use\" means an appropriate consumption or amount of either alcohol or some other drug. The appropriate use"},"_slim_seo_primary_term_category":0,"_slim_seo_primary_term_post_tag":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-addiction","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mickeylieberman.com\/addictions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4131","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mickeylieberman.com\/addictions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mickeylieberman.com\/addictions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mickeylieberman.com\/addictions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mickeylieberman.com\/addictions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4131"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mickeylieberman.com\/addictions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4131\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mickeylieberman.com\/addictions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4131"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mickeylieberman.com\/addictions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4131"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mickeylieberman.com\/addictions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}