A person can become addicted to both prescription and illicit opioids if they abuse them. However, even cautious users who take a narcotic medication as prescribed can become dependent on it. This is why it is so important to understand the difference between dependence and addiction.

If you have been abusing opioid drugs and need immediate treatment, call 800-934-1582(Sponsored) now.

Dependence ≠ Addiction

Addiction and dependence are two very different things. While they can sometimes occur together, they imply different issues and require different treatments. In simple terms, addiction is defined as using a drug compulsively despite the harmful consequences you experience. It’s also characterized by an inability to stop using the drug as well as the following symptoms:

• Failing to meet one’s responsibilities due to drug use
• Seeking out the drug even in the face of problematic effects
• Exhibiting secretive and hostile behavior when confronted by loved ones
• Experiencing serious physical and psychological effects due to drug use
• Feeling apathy toward things that used to matter to you
• Experiencing consequences in your daily life (professional, personal, financial, legal, etc.) associated with substance abuse

Dependence refers to the way your body physically adapts to a substance. Over time, this results in tolerance, which means you need more of the drug to feel the same effects. You’ll also experience withdrawal symptoms if you stop taking the substance. Dependence often occurs at the same time as addiction, but it can occur independently, as well.  You can still become dependent on an opioid drug even if you are not abusing it.

Dependence and Ilicit Use

Physical dependence on a drug occurs when a person uses it often and regularly over a prolonged period of time. Someone who takes opioids under a doctor’s orders will often do so to treat pain or other issues. Therefore, a person can become dependent on a prescription opioid even while taking it exactly as prescribed.

Any time you stop taking opioids after taking them for a long time, you may experience withdrawal symptoms. While your body will still need to be weaned off the drug slowly, this dependency is not the same as addiction. Only a person who abuses a drug by taking it without a prescription, in a way different from how it was prescribed, or using it illicitly can become addicted to that substance.

Am I Dependent or Addicted?

If you took your medication exactly as it was prescribed to you without deviating from that prescription, you are likely experiencing physical and psychological dependence. You will require help from your doctor to be safely weaned off the drug, but you should not be concerned about addiction, as your use was not illicit.

However, if you were taking a narcotic drug (either illicit or prescription) in high doses and in a way that was not medically prescribed to you, your dependence is very likely an extension of your addiction. You will require rehabilitation in a professional treatment program to overcome this issue. Several treatment options are available, including inpatient and outpatient programs.

Seek Treatment Now

Call 800-934-1582(Sponsored) to find safe, reliable rehab centers where you can begin your recovery from narcotic abuse and addiction. We will help you get back to the life you want to live.

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