PART F

Substance Abuse and Dependence

pillsWhen a person repeatedly uses a substance and the effects are negative (e.g., significant impairment or distress), a substance abuse diagnosis may be made. The negative symptoms, however, must occur for a minimum of 12 months. Consequences of substance abuse include the inability to meet social, occupational, and familial responsibilities. Individuals may also encounter legal problems and repeatedly put themselves in physically harmful situations. In essence, they will continue to use drugs despite the damaging outcomes they encounter.

Substance dependence may be considered an advanced form of substance abuse. Many individuals consider substance abuse and addiction to be the same condition. An individual suffering from substance dependence shows the dependence by either tolerance to the substance (greater and greater amounts of a drug must be used to experience the same effect), or withdrawal (negative physical symptoms develop when the substance is no longer taken). A person may also show non-physiological dependence to a substance by compulsively using the substance. In either case, physiologically or psychologically dependent individuals are often in a constant state of craving for the substance – and some individuals will do almost anything to obtain the substance they desire.

Individuals must present three or more of the following symptoms and/or indicators of substance dependence, over a 12-month period, to be classified as substance dependent.