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Drug addiction, also called substance use disorder, is a disease that affects a person's brain and behavior and leads to an inability to control the use of a legal or illegal drug or medicine. Substances such as alcohol, marijuana and nicotine also are considered drugs.
Diagnosing drug addiction (substance use disorder) requires a thorough evaluation and often includes an assessment by a psychiatrist, a psychologist, or a licensed alcohol and drug counselor. Blood, urine or other lab tests are used to assess drug use, but they're not a diagnostic test for addiction.
Prescription drug abuse, also called prescription drug misuse, includes everything from taking a friend's prescription painkiller for your backache to snorting or injecting ground-up pills to get high. Prescription drug abuse may become ongoing and compulsive, despite the negative consequences.
Problems with other substance use; Engaging in risky, unprotected sex, or experiencing sexual abuse or date rape; Increased risk of attempted or completed suicide; Impact on your health. Drinking too much alcohol on a single occasion or over time can cause health problems, including: Liver disease.
Drug addiction is defined as an out-of-control feeling that you must use a medicine or drug and continue to use it even though it causes harm over and over again. Opioids are highly addictive, largely because they trigger powerful reward centers in your brain.
Nicotine dependence occurs when you need nicotine and can't stop using it. Nicotine is the chemical in tobacco that makes it hard to quit. Nicotine produces pleasing effects in your brain, but these effects are temporary.
During the intervention, these people gather together to face your loved one, talk about the effects of their addiction and ask them to accept treatment. The intervention: Provides examples of destructive behaviors and how they affect your loved one with the addiction, as well as family and friends.
Opioids are a broad group of medicines used to relieve pain. Although these medicines are effective, they can lead to addiction. Take them only as directed.
Naltrexone, a drug that blocks the good feelings alcohol causes, may prevent heavy drinking and reduce the urge to drink. Acamprosate may help you combat alcohol cravings once you stop drinking. Unlike disulfiram, naltrexone and acamprosate don't make you feel sick after taking a drink.
Drug addiction, also known as substance use disorder, is a disease that affects a person’s brain and behavior and leads to an inability to control the use of a legal or illegal drug or medication. When you’re addicted, you may continue using the drug despite the harm it causes.