Question!!!

[nucldragr]

I was wondering if anyone has any insight into this question. Is there a difference between addiction, and dependancy?

[ashley80]

I believe that there is a distinction, in the case of narcotic painkillers. If a patient has to be on those long term for chronic or terminal illness, then they are usually physically dependent on them...i.e., have withdrawal symptoms if they stop taking them abruptly.

A true addict, however, has cravings for the drug, takes more than prescribed so they can get a buzz or high, obsesses about the drug, and increases their intake so they can maintain a high, as opposed to pain relief.

I do believe that some people who are physically dependent are not addicts. They don't use the drugs to get high, but simply for pain relief. It's a fine line, though!

I know that, in my case, there was never any questions. I was an addict first, and a pain patient second. I was already an addict (in behavior and with other drugs) before I took my first prescription pain killer. Needless to say I got myself in a fine mess.

That's my two cents. I'm not a doctor though, or medical professional. Just an addict that has spent Waaaay too much time studying the effects of Rx meds.
Ashley

[ragidiman]

A chemical dependency is such a strong need for a substance that it becomes necessary to have this substance just to function properly.


Addiction is a compulsion to repeat a behavior regardless of its consequences.

pretty much the same but differant, not much though.

[angelgirl]

There is a difference..
Here's an example. My aunt has progressive MS. She is dependant on pain killers, oxy's, morphine, and oxycodone, and also methadoone, she take all of that. BUT, she needs all of that, and even with that she often, often cries in pain.
She learned of her MS about 20 years ago, then she was a healthy woman, not on any drugs what so ever. Over the years, the MS has affected every single part of her bady as well as all of her organs. Oh, she does also have a disease, I can not remember the name of it, but she was born with a "water head" she was a twin birth and when she was born, the doctors told her mom, (my grandma) that she should go into an instituation, she could not suck on her own, and the water head affected her brain stem. But my grandma refused to give her up to an institution, instead took her home, and taught her how to suck. She was behind in school, and she was held back once, but she made it through life, and thank god married a rich man, now that might sound not so nice, but with her medical bills, she is so lucky that he makes the money hes made. He is an alcoholic, and not a happy man, or easy for her to live with, but rich, non the less, and she needs that..
Ok, so that was a bit more of her back round. She has slowly lost use of her legs, she went from walking, to walking with a walker, to walking with a cart with wheels, now to a wheelchair, her legs no longer work AT ALL, her hands curl, she has a speech therapist, it has more to do with her breathing I guess, and she has had a colostomy bag ( poop bag, sorry, but I didn't know if you'd know what I meant and I didn't know how else to say it) she has a catheder for urine. She is in tough shape, like I said everything has been affected. She has a morphine pump in her stomach that they refill every 3 months, all the other drugs she takes by mouth. Well except for the shots she gets for her migraines.. Thsi si a woman who truly suffers, yet, she is very inspirational.. She does as much as she possible can do herself, she still is able to cook alot. She was a baker and cook by trade. She now needs help for baking, but she does alot..
I wanted you to understand all of this so you could see that she is physically DEPENDANT, on the drugs, and if they took them away, she would go into heavy withdrawals.
She does not abuse her drugs, she takes so many just because she needs to. She is in constant pain, always..
I am a drug addict. I started out taking drugs because I needed them, I even started taking them as prescribed, until I realized how they seemed to help me get everything I needed to do, done. I am a mother of 4, and I HAD (before I lost it to drugs) a really good full time job. My husband did little to nothing when I worked, so I did most everything. I FELT I needed the drugs to get by. HA, I didn't.. I should have looked at my aunt and seen who really needed drugs.. It wasn't me.
Everytime I stopped taking drugs, I went into heavy withdrawals, but it was because I abused the drugs..

That is the difference between dependence and addiction.
Hope this helps.

Love, Becky

[jazpoppy]

Well said Becky!

[angelgirl]

Hey, thanks..

love ya all
Becky

[REZ]

Some distinctions (from the addiction literature)

1. Drug tolerance. The patient needs larger doses of the drug to get the same effect. This can happen with many drugs, such as caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol.
2. Physical dependence. The patient's body has adapted to the presence of the drug. The patient will experience withdrawal symptoms (headaches, nausea, tremors, irritability, etc.) if the patient does not receive the drug.
3. Addiction. The patient finds intense pleasure in taking the drug, has a mental obsession with the drug, and uses the drug even when the patient does not want to use the drug (compulsion). The patient continues to use the drug despite many negative consequences to himself or others from his drug usage.

It is possible to have drug tolerance or even physiological dependence without addiction.