|
Experimentation, regular use, risky use, dependence, and addiction are the stages of substance use. Related behaviors can be addressed and treated, if necessary, at any stage – despite popular myths, people do not need to “hit bottom” or become addicted before they can benefit from help.
EXPERIMENTATION
Substance use starts with experimentation -- or the voluntary use of alcohol or other drugs. Frequently, the person experimenting is trying to erase another problem. An older person may self-medicate by drinking to cope with depression after losing a spouse. A teenager, angry about his parents’ divorce, could start smoking marijuana or huffing inhalants. Experimentation may even include a husband taking his wife’s prescription painkillers to cope with a back problem.
In all of these cases, the substance seems to solve the problem. So the person takes more, and moves from experimentation to regular use, the next stage. Some people will stay in this stage indefinitely, will not develop a problem, and will probably stop by themselves. But others will start using substances in a manner that is risky or hazardous to themselves or to others. Smoking marijuana and driving is an example of a risky behavior. Or having unprotected sex. So is binge drinking (having more than the recommended amount of alcohol at one occasion).
REGULAR TO RISKY USE
If, when, and how the transition from regular to risky use happens differs for every individual. And while it doesn’t happen to everyone, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) estimates that nearly one-third of Americans engage in risky drinking patterns.
As a result, what constitutes “risky behavior” by another person can be difficult to gauge — unless it’s obvious, of course. If someone’s behavior worries you, you owe it to yourself and them to say something. The slope from risky behavior to dependence is slippery, and there are interventions for risky users that can reduce harm.
Alcohol or drug dependence follows risky behavior. According to Maryann Amodeo, Director of the Alcohol and Drug Institute for Policy, Training and Research at Boston University, the characteristics of dependence include:
- repeated use of alcohol or other drugs leading to failure to fulfill major responsibilities related to work, family, school or other roles
- repeatedly drinking or using drugs in situations that are physically hazardous, such as driving while intoxicated or using heavy machinery when intoxicated
- repeated legal problems
At this stage, alcohol or other drug use may not yet be compulsive and out of control. Many dependent people are able to work, maintain family relationships and friendships, and limit their use of alcohol or other drugs to certain time periods, such as evenings or weekends. But it’s also difficult for them and for others to see the effect their substance use may be having on themselves, friends, and family members. And again, there are appropriate interventions for substance users in this stage, and those around them.
ADDICTION
The last phase of the spectrum of substance use problems is addiction. Addiction is a medical condition involving serious psychological and physical changes from repeated heavy use of alcohol, other drugs, or both. The symptoms of addiction are: uncontrollable alcohol or other drug craving, seeking, and use that persists even in the face of negative consequences. It is a progressive illness, meaning it gets worse over time if left untreated. It is also chronic, or long-standing (versus acute, or short-term).
Addiction is also a treatable illness. Recovery rates for people who go through treatment are very similar to those who get treatment for other chronic diseases such as diabetes and asthma. There are a number of treatment methods and community resources, including outpatient or residential treatment programs and twelve-step groups. These approaches can be customized to fit the needs of the individual and family. Learn more about understanding addiction.
And remember: substance use can be addressed before it becomes an addiction or a dependence.
[Source: Mary Ann Amodeo/Join Together]
|