That dependence can bloom into abuse and addiction when someone becomes incentivized to continue using drugs. Without that substance, they experience withdrawal symptoms. That tolerance can cause someone to consistently take drugs or alcohol to the point the person’s body becomes used to its presence. In other words, drug addiction has such a profound and pervasive impact, that it effectively rewires the brain, changing how it processes reward, stress, and self-control.Ī person often arrives at addiction by developing a tolerance to a substance, meaning they take more of it to experience the effects a previous dose yielded. Relapse rates hover between 40 to 60 percent with drug addiction, which is comparable to asthma and hypertension estimates.
Experiencing symptoms of withdrawal when trying to quit the drugĭrug Relapse Rates and How Addiction Happens.Physical tolerance, meaning the body needs more of the drug to experience the original level of intoxication.Experiencing physical or psychological problems due to substance abuse but continuing to abuse drugs anyway.Ongoing abuse of drugs in inappropriate situations, such as using them in the morning before work, driving while intoxicated, or abusing drugs around children.Giving up hobbies or activities to abuse drugs.Ongoing drug abuse despite physical, mental, emotional, or social problems associated with the abuse.
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These are key features of drug addiction, as outlined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). In fact, NIDA defines addiction “as a chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use despite adverse consequences.” The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) views drug addiction as a brain disorder. Therefore, it is the best method for ceasing drug use.
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While the most disciplined and strong-willed among us can quit drugs and alcohol on their own, relapse rates indicate that for highly addictive substances, tapering - when administered through a professional addiction treatment program - offers people a greater chance at sobriety. Napoleon Hill, the influential self-help author, once said, “Whatever the mind of man (or woman) can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” This is not to discount the capacity of the human mind. With opioids, where the withdrawal symptoms are relatively mild, the way they profoundly impact the brain’s reward pathways makes quitting “cold turkey” virtually impossible.
While nicotine remains highly addictive and produces intense cravings, it does not generate the harrowing withdrawal symptoms associated with certain substances, especially central nervous system (CNS) depressants. This, however, is not the case with prescription and illicit drugs.
There is research that states outright that quitting “cold turkey” has a rate of success that is comparable to nicotine replacement therapy. In fact, cigarette cessation guidelines conclude that the best way to quit smoking is by abruptly stopping. If there is one substance people have successfully quit on their own, time and again, it’s cigarettes.
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