The distinction is essential for patients and caregivers to understand. This is why recent evidence-based literature clearly defines the difference between addiction and physical dependence in drug use. Researchers are concerned about the misdiagnosis of addictive disorders based on the potential negative outcomes — for example, worsening stigma or discontinuing needed medications. The terms dependence and addiction must be separated to ensure the proper interventions and treatments. Although they are closely linked, and there is plenty of overlap, they are not the same, and that matters.

Unlike tolerance, which focuses on how much of the substance you need to feel its effect, physical dependence happens when your body starts to rely on the drug. If you were to suddenly stop using it, you would likely experience some harsh symptoms. The solution in the DSM-5 was to combine the categories of “substance dependence” and “substance abuse” into one category called “substance use disorder” under a chapter heading called Substance-Related and Addictive addiction vs dependence Disorders. The purposeful use of the term “Addictive Disorders” in the naming of this chapter was primarily due to the addition of “gambling disorder” to the DSM, a non-substance-related disorder. And here, too, among the committee members, the decision to introduce the term “addictive” into the DSM-5 was arrived at through disagreements and non-consensus. Mark eventually develops a physical dependence on alcohol, as it’s an addictive substance.

Opioids: Understanding Addiction Versus Dependence

But when people withdraw from these medications, they do not crave them and once successfully tapered, they do not have recurrent use. In contrast, craving and recurrent use are common symptoms of addiction, particularly during early stages of https://ecosoberhouse.com/ recovery. In traditional diagnoses, ‘addiction’ generally referred to a person’s physical reliance on alcohol, drugs, and other substances and behaviors, while ‘dependence’ was viewed more as the psychological reliance on addictive behavior.

addiction vs dependence

Despite this, the terms “drug dependence” and “drug addiction” actually refer to two slightly different concepts. Recognizing the difference between dependence and addiction is important because it helps understand the nature of substance abuse. In fact, it is possible to become drug dependent without being addicted, and vice-versa.

Different Parts of the Brain Affected

In near every case of substance use disorders, however, therapy and education is an important step towards recovery. Addiction manifests as a combination of physical, mental, and behavioral symptoms. However, a person who is dependent on a drug may not addicted to it. Keep in mind, a physical dependence is usually a precursor to addiction, so it is important to recognize the signs of both. While it isn’t possible to develop an addiction to a substance without repeated use, addictions can form more quickly and easily in certain people. Genetic, neurological, or psychological factors can all increase a person’s likelihood of developing a drug or alcohol dependence.

Other professionals who diagnose addiction (e.g. social workers, physician assistants, nurse-practitioners, addiction counselors) also need better education about these distinctions. If someone with a drug dependence detoxes, especially by slowly decreasing the amount of the medication they take over a period of time, they may suffer withdrawal symptoms, but can end that physical dependence. Caffeine is an example of a common substance that causes physical dependence. If you can’t function properly in the morning without your cup of coffee, it could be that you are caffeine-dependent.

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