Substance use disorder
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Substance use disorder (also known as SUD and drug addiction) is a complex condition in which there is uncontrolled use of a substance despite harmful consequences.[1] The reason people misuse or become addicted to drugs can be due to a combination of psychological, biological, socio-cultural, and environmental factors.
Components of addiction
Addiction is caused by a multitude of factors that varies in different drugs.[2] These components are often interconnected, such as the strong connections between tolerance and withdrawal, or between reward and craving.
Tolerance
Tolerance (also known as dependence) occurs when a substance produces alterations in brain chemistry or function. The body then depends on the substance for stability or certain functions where discontinuation of the drug could result in withdrawal effects.[3]
Withdrawal occurs upon the discontinuation or decrease in one's intake of a substance, commonly when a user has already built up a tolerance. The effects from withdrawal may cause unpleasant bodily or psychological effects that often encourages a user to seek out and take the substance to alleviate negative effects. Withdrawal is often thought to be either physical or psychological, with physical effects could include aching or bodily danger whereas psychological effects are
Reinforcement and reward
Drugs with addiction potential release dopamine into reward regions of the brain. Substance use can be reinforced because the brain can come to expect the reward (dopamine), resulting in an emergence of a habit.[4]
Craving
Craving refers to the subjective experience of wanting to use a drug. This can happen right while under the influence of a substance, encouraging compulsive redosing.
Adverse consequences
People who have SUD can experience either harmful health effects, social issues, or both. Health is impacted through the negative effects of overdoses or the typical negative effects from taking a drug too often or for too long. Social life can be impacted by legal issues or strained interpersonal relationships.
Treatment
- Tapering - by gradually decreasing one's dosage of a substance over a substantial period of time, withdrawal effects can be minimized and tolerance can be decreased
- Therapy - people who have SUD can often experience depression, anxiety, and other mental effects that if treated with therapy, can result in the reduction of drug use
See also
References
- ↑ Psychiatry.org - What Is a Substance Use Disorder?
- ↑ Substance Use Disorders and Addiction: Mechanisms, Trends, and Treatment Implications | American Journal of Psychiatry (psychiatryonline.org)
- ↑ Drug dependence, a chronic medical illness: implications for treatment, insurance, and outcomes evaluation - PubMed (nih.gov)
- ↑ The Neuroscience of Drug Reward and Addiction | Physiological Reviews (physiology.org)