Withdrawal symptoms can be severe for certain drugs and alcohol, even life-threatening. If you have developed a dependence on a substance, you may need to go through a detoxification process under medical supervision before entering an addiction treatment programme.
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There is a fine line between substance misuse or abuse and addiction. How do you know if you have crossed that line? The simple answer is addiction is present when your substance use or behaviour is harming your physical, mental, social or financial wellbeing.
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This is a common question among people where addiction “runs in the family”. Scientists are now studying how genes can play a role in addiction and are devising ways to identify biological factors that make someone more vulnerable to drug and alcohol addiction. Let’s look at the most recent reports on the link between genetics and addiction.
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Substance use disorder is the new medical term for addiction. It also replaces words like substance abuse and substance dependence. It is a chronic mental health disorder caused by the compulsive use of alcohol or drugs, or both that results in permanent changes to brain structure and function.
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Alcoholism is now called alcohol use disorder (AUD). The new term more accurately describes a condition that goes through various stages, from alcohol tolerance to dependence and addiction. Alcoholism carries the social stigma of “heavy drinking,” while AUD (alcohol addiction) encompasses the biological side effects of long-term alcohol consumption.
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There is nothing more frightening than finding your loved one in the grip of a life-threatening drug overdose. It’s something you dread and desperately hope never happens, but you need to be prepared for the eventuality. It hangs over your head and your loved one living with a drug addiction.
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