Substance Use vs Substance Abuse: Difference, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment Options

NIDA estimates that 30% of people who use marijuana will become dependent. This risk is four to seven times higher for those who began using the drug in their teens. “Abuse” can result from using a substance in a way that is not intended or recommended, or from using more than prescribed. Her work spans various health-related topics, including mental health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness. Substance use is often a precursor to developing substance use disorder.

Prescription and Over-the-Counter (OTC) Medicine

When you spend time with a loved one or eat a delicious meal, your body releases a chemical called dopamine, which makes you feel pleasure. It becomes a cycle — you seek out these experiences because they reward you with good feelings. Withdrawal symptoms range in severity based on the type of substance and tolerance. For some substances, like opioids, the withdrawal symptoms are so severe that they create significant motivation to continue using them. This can make treating substance use disorder very difficult. Controlled substances are drugs or medications that have the potential to be misused and have a high risk of leading to substance use disorder.

What are substances?

In fact, for some people, trying a substance or using it occasionally can be the first step of developing substance use disorder. If you’ve heard the terms “substance use” and “substance abuse,” you may wonder whether they mean the same thing or whether there’s any difference between them. As shown in COMBINE, no single medication or treatment strategy is effective in every case or in every person.

Preventing Substance Use Disorder

This program serves as a follow-up treatment, designed to offer a longer-term structure to those who have completed inpatient or intensive outpatient programs. This article discusses the types and symptoms of substance use disorders, https://ecosoberhouse.com/ as well as how it’s diagnosed and treated. Both legal and illegal drugs have chemicals that can change how your body and mind work. They can give you a pleasurable “high,” ease your stress, or help you avoid problems in your life.

• Naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray is currently available both over-the-counter and by prescription, under different brand names.
• Recognizing the differences between dependence and addiction is crucial for tailoring effective treatment and recovery strategies.
• Campral did not perform better than the placebo or dummy pill.
• The type of drug prescribed depends on many factors, including the phase of treatment a person is in.
• Research shows that combining addiction treatment medicines with behavioral therapy ensures the best chance of success for most patients.

An Overview of Substance Use

Fortunately, researchers know more than ever about how drugs affect the brain and have found treatments that can help people recover from drug addiction and lead productive lives. For spouses and family members of those with substance use disorder, it may be vital that you get involved in alcohol vs drugs a support group (such as Al-Anon) and seek help from a mental health professional as well. The fifth edition (DSM-5) was published in 2013 and changed the terminology from substance abuse, addiction, and alcoholism to Substance Use Disorder (SUD), which encompasses both drugs and alcohol.

How to Identify Substance Misuse

• There are specific ages that make a person more likely to develop a substance use problem.
• This is because drinking becomes a coping mechanism for them to get ‘relief’ from anxiety, depression, and traumas.
• Addiction is a lot like other diseases, such as heart disease.
• To overcome this, ChoicePoint accepts all insurances to bring you cost-effective treatment options.
• These alcohols may also be used as solvents for medical drugs and to make perfumes smell good.