Drug Use vs. Drug Abuse
It is very important to recognize the difference between drug use and drug abuse. Im going to go over a few terms and misconceptions on this topic. I am also going to talk about the stigma around drug addiction and around non-harmful drug use. I hope you learn something!
Drug Use - The use of any drug. This includes alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, and prescribed medication.
Drug Misuse - Use of a legal or prescribed substance in a harmful and or unintended way. This can include taking more medication than prescribed to get high or forming harmful habits around alcohol, cigarettes, or caffeine.
Drug Abuse - Recurrent substance use resulting in a failure to fulfill major role obligations in your school, work, home, or social life.
Addiction/dependance - The term used to describe a situation in which a person would experience negative symptoms from immediately discontinuing use. This includes both psychological and physical repercussions. Addiction is assumed if the person has been using regularly (Once every1-2 days) for longer than a week or two and is reluctant to stop. Addiction is also assumed if the person has gained a tolerance and needs to take more than they initially did to feel effects. It is important to note that a person does not have to be getting high to form a physical dependance on a drug. Also, psychological addiction is often comorbid with physical addiction.
What is the difference between drug use and abuse?
Drug use is not always unhealthy while, by definition, drug abuse is impairing your ability to lead a normal lifestyle. It is possible to use drugs in a healthy, non life-impairing way. This applies to both legal and illegal substances. Drug use turns into drug abuse when they begin to use as an addict would, whether or not addiction has yet to form.
What is the difference between misuse and abuse?
Misuse is when you use a substance in a way that it is not intended such as taking more medication than prescribed to get high or forming harmful habits around alcohol, cigarettes, or caffeine. This would turn into drug abuse if you began to experience an inability to live your life as you did before the drug use began due to the use of the substance. This could look like someone begins taking more anti-anxiety medication than prescribed and begins to ignore friends in favor of getting high.
What does physical addiction mean?
Addiction is the point at which you experience withdrawal from discontinuing use. This happens because your brain becomes accustomed to the altered chemical levels and when they suddenly return to normal it is very unpleasant.
Can addiction exist outside of physical dependence?
The answer I am sad to give to you is yes. Addiction does not always mean you are physically dependant. Psychological addiction exists and is just as harmful as physical addiction. Here are some examples of habits that arent physically addiction forming but CAN cause a psychological dependence:
The use of many substances where, if all drugs had the same properties, it would form an addiction.
The use of a non-chemically addictive drug, such as marijuana, in a habitual and consistent way.
Things like self-harm or purging
Is addiction always bad?
Drug addiction implies only that you are somehow dependant on the substance. There are people who smoke cigarettes and drink coffee every single day who would shake and have headaches if they stopped. These people are, in the most technical sense, addicted to drugs. Also, there are are people who are consistently taking opiates for pain and would experience withdrawal symptoms if they were to stop taking their medication. But we would not consider these people addicts in the same way we would someone smoking meth or heroin. This is the line that exists between addiction and abuse. Also, take a look at my post on misconceptions about addicts HERE to understand a bit more about the behavior of addicts.
A note before we get into this next section:
No one wants to be accused of encouraging risky behaviors so I will say this now: I am not telling you to use drugs. I do, however, very strongly believe in harm-reduction based education, especially in relation to substance use. I want to give you the all the facts you could need to stay safe, not just the ones that apply to legal behaviors.
The stigma around drug education
We teach drug use in the sad and ineffective way we used to teach sex education: abstinence only. (Just kidding we still use abstinence only sex-ed in 23% of public schools in the U.S.*) It is silly to tell someone not to ever use drugs because it is bad for them in the same way it is ineffective to tell teens not to have sex because they could get an STI or get cause a pregnancy. Both these things feel good but have risks and people are scared to talk about safety or experience in fear of being accused of encouraging risky behavior.
Is there a difference between the use/abuse of legal and illegal substances?
Yes,there are two main differences. The first is that most drugs that are illegal completely or only available as a prescription, are usually illegal because there is some danger of brain damage or death if used recklessly. The second, equally important difference, is there is less education on safe use. We will tell people Dont drink eight energy drinks in one sitting, you will get really tired and have lots of headaches and it could even be bad for your heart. But we dont tell people Dont do more than 1-2 points of ecstasy in a month because you run the risk of getting serotonin syndrome which can make life really tiring forever or even kill you.
Can the use of illegal substances ever be helpful?
Many illegal substances have positive cognitive effects such as helping with depression or anxiety. They can also help with relaxation, sleep, and self-awareness. Of course, these positives do not erase the risks.
What are some ways to stay safe when using illegal/legal substances?
Where can I educate myself on substances?
THIS website goes over the basics of commonly used substances and how to stay safe.
@UntilThen
Thank you for adding this post...This can be very beneficial and educational information.
Drug abuse is surely something that can affect our health and over-all wellbeing whether its physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual... and then eventually even "financial health".....
Its great to recognize the signs of "Abuse' and to get the help that you need, as well, as recognizing it in others around you that you may love and care for. And being able to seek help.
@PoliteOcean This was very helpful! Thank you so much for sharing all of this information with us. I've learned a ton!
@UntilThenThis was very helpful! Thank you so much for sharing all of this information with us. I've learned a ton!
Great post!
I would examine a few things more closely though, for example, this:
Addiction is assumed if the person has been using regularly (Once every1-2 days) for longer than a week or two and is reluctant to stop.
Main medications are recommended or prescribed for daily use, and if someone is getting benefit from them with minimal side effects, I think many would be reluctant to stop.
@AffyAvo
Addiction can exist even while the medication is needed. Addiction is not inherently negative, nor does it always imply a mental health issue. As I said in the Is Addiction Always Bad? section:
"There are are people who are consistently taking opiates for pain and would experience withdrawal symptoms if they were to stop taking their medication. But we would not consider these people addicts in the same way we would someone smoking meth or heroin. This is the line that exists between addiction and abuse."
Needed medications can be physically adddictive without having negative impacts. Thus is the stigma around the word addiction. I think this is a super important line to draw and I am glad you brought it up.
@UntilThen They can be. There are some things that people aren't addicted to though, and don't want to stop for very good reason! I stopped one of my meds as it was a requirement for a clinical trial. This lead to laryngeal angioedema. It had nothing to do with withdrawals (I was getting it before being on the medication) nor addiction. I would be very upset if I had to stop due to lack of access or something like that. It does NOT mean I'm addicted to it. My life my depend on it though.
@AffyAvo
A lot of what this post is about, is drawing the line between use, misuse, abuse, psychological, and physical addiction. I believe it is very important to not connect the stigma of the word addiction with the topics of drug misuse and abuse. This is a great example of why this is important, as there are cases where you do not have a physical dependancey but you do rely on the drug because it simply isn't chemically addictive. I would consider that a positive and neccisary dependancy, though it still IS one.
@UntilThen Correct, it's a physical dependency that has nothing to do with starting it/how long I have been on it/etc.
It could be extremely harmful if someone were to assume the reason I wanted to keep taking it was because I was addicted though.
@AffyAvo
Of course! I can't think of any reason someone would consider someone else an addict for responsiby using a prescribed medication.