Substance Use, Abuse, and Dependence: Definition and Causes of Substance Disorders

Instructor: Natalie Boyd

Natalie is a teacher and holds an MA in English Education and is in progress on her PhD in psychology.

Substance use, abuse, and dependence are often confused with each other. In this lesson, we'll look at the differences between the three and common causes of addiction.

Use, Abuse, and Dependence

Like many college students, Jeremy likes to go out with his friends and drink alcohol. They have a good time, and everyone knows that Jeremy's always up for a party. But a few of the people closest to him have started worrying that perhaps he has a drinking problem. Are they right? Is Jeremy addicted? Or, is he just having a good time like other college students? To answer that question, let's start by defining some terms that are sometimes confused.

Substance use is when someone consumes alcohol or drugs. Remember Jeremy? The very first time that he took a sip of alcohol, he was using. Substance use does not always lead to addiction; many people occasionally use alcohol or certain drugs without being addicted. However, substance use always comes with the risk that it might lead to addiction.

Substance abuse, meanwhile, is when a person consumes alcohol or drugs regularly, despite the fact that it causes issues in their life. The issues caused by abuse may be related to their job, their personal life, or even their safety. People who abuse drugs and alcohol continue to consume them, regardless of the consequences. Last month, Jeremy's girlfriend threatened to break up with him because he drank too much and was mean to her when he did. Instead of using that as a warning sign, he kept drinking and lost his girlfriend. This is an example of substance abuse: He continues to drink, even though there are consequences.   Read more>>>https://study.com/academy/lesson/substance-use-abuse-and-dependence-definition-and-causes-of-substance-disorders.html