Chemical Dependency Versus Drug Addiction

Is chemical dependency the same as drug addiction?

No. Although both conditions share some similarities, there are also key differences between them, and the terms chemical dependency and drug addiction refer to two different things.

Simply put, an addiction is the compulsive use of drugs despite negative consequences, whereas chemical dependency is a biological reaction to an addictive chemical. All addicts are chemically dependent, but not everyone who is chemically dependent is an addict.

Drug Addiction

Drug addiction is typically characterized by both mental and physical dependence on a substance in order to feel good, improve one’s mood, cope with stress, or enhance one’s cognitive abilities. Most often, its use is driven by emotional triggers, events, or situations that set off a biochemical response in the brain.

The most common consequences of drug addiction include an inability to stop using it; failure to carry out family, work, or social obligations; an increasing tolerance to the substance; and withdrawal symptoms when use of it is discontinued.

The American Psychiatric Association’s updated DSM-5 combines substance abuse, dependence, and addiction into a single category labeled substance abuse disorder, which is then subcategorized as mild, moderate, or severe, depending on how many of the 11 criteria for an official diagnosis are met.

Drug or alcohol abuse accompanied by only two or three of the symptoms commonly associated with addiction, for instance, is defined as mild substance abuse disorder. People in this category may still experience serious consequences such as problems at work, motor vehicle accidents, or overdosing, but they are typically able to respond by stopping or changing the pattern of their substance use before it progresses to full-blown addiction.

Drug addiction, on the other hand, is considered a severe substance abuse disorder because it is characterized by six or more of the diagnostic criteria.

Chemical Dependency

Chemical dependency develops when certain areas of the brain adapt to the repeated use of a drug and can only function normally when it is being used.

So, for instance, people who suffer from chronic pain and are on a prescribed protocol of opioid medication are likely to develop a chemical dependency on that drug because of the way it interacts with their body’s central nervous system. However, they are not compulsive users of it, and are not necessarily addicted, even though they are more than likely to suffer withdrawal symptoms if they abruptly stop using the drug.

Differences in Treatment for Chemical Dependency and Drug Addiction

Both drug addicts and people with chemical dependency require treatment if their body is deprived of the substance it has become accustomed to. However, the type of treatment varies.

Those who have developed a chemical dependency on a prescribed medication, and for whom cravings are not a factor, can often come off the drug with a minimum of withdrawal symptoms through a detox protocol such as tapering the doses, so it is gradually eliminated from their system to avoid the shock of suddenly stopping cold turkey.

For people with a drug addiction whose brain chemistry and circuits have been affected, it is more complicated. Treatment usually requires inpatient medical detoxification, followed by long-term aftercare including therapy, to help retrain the brain’s reward pathway and equip the addict with the necessary physical, emotional, and spiritual coping skills to support ongoing recovery.

If you would like more information than what this article could provide, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at Santa Monica Christian Counseling in California.