The boundary between drug addiction, tolerance, and dependence is razor-thin. It is often a line that the most concerned family members also cannot quite understand.
Is my son drug-addicted, or whether his body simply reliant on them? Whether my daughter using bigger doses to help her manage her state, or is she just trying to get high? All these are the kind of inquiries we get from worried parents, and also it all boils down to this.
A person’s tolerance for or dependence on drugs does not necessarily imply that they are addicted. There is, however, cause for caution. Substance addiction can cause tolerance and dependence. Alternatively, they may eventually develop into a substance addiction. So, we will take a little closer look in the subsequent paragraph.
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Drug addiction
Substance addiction can be a disorder comprising mental, physical,and behavioral symptoms that can develop as a result of building up a tolerance to a drug and using it long enough to create physical dependency.
What distinguishes an addicted person from someone who suffers from drug dependency or resistance is that the addicted person is unable to quit using the substance, despite the various negative consequences.
Addiction can always lead to a person spending all of their money, doing dubious or illegal activities to fund their habit, abandoning their family, losing their job, or ending up in jail. None of these effects are sufficient to reverse a serious addiction. In such situations, detox and therapy are neededfor drug addiction in order to recover.
Tolerance
Tolerance is interpreted as the capability to withstand discomfort, adversity, or prolonged exposure to something, like a drug. Tolerance, in the context of substance abuse, refers to a person’s body becoming less sensitive to a drug or alcohol following repeated usage and exposure.
To put it another way, resistance is a physical result of long-term substance addiction. When a person’s regular dose of the medication no longer gets them high or buzzed, they may need to consume more of that drug to have the same effect.
With repeated usage, anyone can acquire resistance to alcohol and drugs. They can develop tolerance to a controlled substance like heroin or a prescription drug like Oxycontin.
Drugs and alcohol alter the brain chemical makeup of a user’s brain, regardless of the type. When these drugs are used consistently over time, the brain creates fewer neurotransmitters in the reward circuit, such as dopamine. As a result, the ability of the user to derive pleasure out ofdrugshas diminished an indication of tolerance.
Drug dependence
Drug addiction can be a physiological condition. It simply implies that if someone takes medicine for a long time and then abruptly quits using it or reduces the dosage, he/she will have bodily symptoms that might range from mild to severe.
With any commonly consumed substances, physical withdrawal symptoms may also occur, but most commonly they are connected with alcohol and opioids. While dealing with your drug addiction on your own, you must gently reduce your substance to reduce discomfort and health concerns.
