Lots of times when the terms drug abuse and drug addiction are talked about, people use them in the same context, but the fact is they are different animals. People become addicted to drugs by abusing them, but there is a lot more involved in the actual addiction than just abuse.
Abuse of drugs is simply using drugs in a way that they were not intended repeatedly. You could also define it as misusing a chemical substance habitually. Using drugs for something other than their intended purpose is what this definition includes.You could implement a number of different definition in reality for "drug abuse", but they all will center around the idea of a drug being used or overused for reasons other than either therapeutic or medicinal.
An addiction to drugs on the other hand is something different in that a person goes through actual pain and trauma when they do not get their fix of the drug. They can experience things like uncontrollable shaking, nausea, and even insomnia to name a few. Lots of the drugs out there mess with the way that the brain function and alter it to where it cannot function correctly without the drug.
People who are addicted to drugs, will use the drug no matter what type of adverse health reactions they get from doing so. This behavior causes them to have complete disregard for their personal health as long as I get that next high or head change and that they need.|For these people quitting really isn't a very easy option for them. This is a time when a person's drug abuse becomes an addiction and it must be addressed and dealt with.
Knowing the difference between drug abuse and addiction can help you to prevent somebody from escalating to a point. It's a lot easier to start looking for options for treatment when you know what it is you're dealing with.
It doesn't matter whether it's you are loved one that is addicted to or abusing drugs, people who are in this situation and life need to seek out treatment as soon as they can in order to protect themselves from serious health problems. Drug treatment can profoundly affect both the user and society. Giving these people the help they need and getting them off of drugs helps to improve the society as a whole as it makes people who were not functional members of society into people who can now get along in society and creates a more peaceful community.
The number one cause of preventable illness and death in the United States is drug abuse. It doesn't really matter which drug we are talking about, whether it is methamphetamine s, heroin, alcohol, cocaine or whatever it be, these drugs cause problems with the human body. Use of these things is preventable and educating people is the first step in that.
Addiction and drug abuse are plagues for our society. These problems have been around for many many years, and are likely to be around for a while longer, but recognizing the differences between the two will allow you to pay attention to the different signs and signals which can alert you to the problem and help you to take steps towards healing.
