Drug addiction, or substance use disorder, is a mental health condition that can have lifelong impacts.
How Is Drug Addiction Defined?
Drug addiction is a brain disease that falls into the category ofsubstance use disorders.
FatCamera / Getty Images
Why Does Addiction Happen?
Experiencing Drug Addiction Symptoms
Substance use disorder symptoms are categorized into addiction and withdrawal symptoms.
Addiction symptoms are those that indicate a person may be addicted to a substance.
Withdrawal symptoms are those that occur when a person tries to stop using a substance.
These might include:
Severe withdrawal can lead to dangerous and life-threatening health issues.
If you experience withdrawal symptoms, seek medical attention for support with withdrawal management.
For questions about medical detoxification, talk with your healthcare provider.
Living With Drug Addiction
Substance use disorder is a lifelong struggle.
A person who is recovering from substance use disorder is always at risk of relapse.
Though there are risk factors for developing substance use disorder, anyone can develop it.
Treatment is available for people struggling with substance use disorder.
Rogers PJ.Food and drug addictions: similarities and differences.Pharmacol Biochem Behav.
2013;170(8):834-851. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2013.12060782
Jahan AR, Burgess DM.Substance use disorder.StatPearls [Internet].
Wise RA, Koob GF.The development and maintenance of drug addiction.Neuropsychopharmacology.
2022;13:858638. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.858638
National Institute on Drug Abuse.Drugs, brains, and behavior: the science of addiction.
Melemis SM.Relapse prevention and the five rules of recovery.Yale J Biol Med.
2015;88(3):325-332.
Cheron J, Kerchove d’Exaerde A.Drug addiction: from bench to bedside.Transl Psychiatry.
2021;11(1):424. doi:10.1038/s41398-021-01542-0
