Drug addiction
Drug addiction, also known as a “substance use disorder,” is a disease that affects a person’s brain and behavior, resulting in an inability to control the use of legal or illegal drugs or medications
Diagnosis
Diagnosing a drug addiction (“substance use disorder”) requires a thorough investigation and often involves an evaluation by a psychiatrist, psychologist, or licensed drug and alcohol counselor. Laboratory tests, such as blood or urine tests, are used to assess drug use but cannot diagnose addiction. However, these tests can be used to monitor treatment and recovery.
Symptoms
Symptoms or behaviors of drug addiction include the following:
- Feeling like you have to use the drug frequently, either daily or even several times a day
- Having such an intense urge to use the drug that you can’t think of anything else
- Over time, needing a larger dose of the drug to get the same effect
- Taking larger amounts of the drug over a longer period of time than you intended
- Make sure you have drugs available
- Spending money on drugs even when they can’t afford it
- Not fulfilling work obligations and responsibilities, or reducing the time you spend in social or recreational activities due to drug use
- Continuing to use the drug even though you know it is causing problems in your life or physical or psychological damage
- Do things you wouldn’t normally do to get the drug like stealing
- Driving or doing other dangerous activities while under the influence of the drug
- Spending a lot of time trying to get drugs
- Failing in your attempts to stop doing drugs
- Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when trying to stop taking the drug