I don't think it is technically possible to become addicted to a drug after one use. I am not 100 percent sure of the technical definition but my undersyanding of it is that someone who has an actual addiction (strictly psychology terms) is someone who has physical dependance to a substance. Someone who uses a substance and needs it due to emotional problems and etc rather then avoiding a physical withdrawal would be considered a substance abuser. Of course people throw around the word addiction interchangably which is not such a bad thing because a mental addiction is can easily be as serious and difficult to deal with as a physical one. However in the end if you were talking in terms of the professional world of psychology I would say you could not be addicted from use because by their definition addiction requires physical dependence. You can definitley develop a substance abuse problem after one use though. Been there and done that with opiates and benzos!
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BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards
Addiction Without Constant Use
- Thread starter SawRED
- Start date
I don't think it is technically possible to become addicted to a drug after one use. I am not 100 percent sure of the technical definition but my undersyanding of it is that someone who has an actual addiction (strictly psychology terms) is someone who has physical dependance to a substance. Someone who uses a substance and needs it due to emotional problems and etc rather then avoiding a physical withdrawal would be considered a substance abuser. Of course people throw around the word addiction interchangably which is not such a bad thing because a mental addiction is can easily be as serious and difficult to deal with as a physical one. However in the end if you were talking in terms of the professional world of psychology I would say you could not be addicted from use because by their definition addiction requires physical dependence. You can definitley develop a substance abuse problem after one use though. Been there and done that with opiates and benzos!
I don't think it is technically possible to become addicted to a drug after one use. I am not 100 percent sure of the technical definition but my undersyanding of it is that someone who has an actual addiction (strictly psychology terms) is someone who has physical dependance to a substance. Someone who uses a substance and needs it due to emotional problems and etc rather then avoiding a physical withdrawal would be considered a substance abuser. Of course people throw around the word addiction interchangably which is not such a bad thing because a mental addiction is can easily be as serious and difficult to deal with as a physical one. However in the end if you were talking in terms of the professional world of psychology I would say you could not be addicted from use because by their definition addiction requires physical dependence. You can definitley develop a substance abuse problem after one use though. Been there and done that with opiates and benzos!
Cane2theLeft
Bluelight Crew
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2008
- Messages
- 12,673
^ if you click the first NSFW tag above, the criteria set for Substance Dependence Disorder is listed (for all intents and purposes, this is the 'addiction' diagnosis). To be diagnosed you need 3 of the 7 criteria and when a diagnosis is made you specify if there is or is not physiological dependence. *2* of criteria for SDD/Addiction demonstrate physiological dependence (tolerance and withdrawal) but you can certainly be an addict without being physiologically dependent. This is often seen in those who don't use everyday but their use causes substantial problems in their lives (financial, social, occupational, familial, academic, etc.) or who use many different substances but not any single substance enough to become dependent.
Essentially - addiction is characterized by the problems someone's use creates not by what happens when they stop taking it.
Using clinical definitions, you absolutely can not be an addict after one use because to be diagnosed an addict or even a substance abuser requires "A maladaptive pattern of substance use, leading to clinically significant impairment or distress". One use does not a pattern make.
If people want to use their own definitions, that's fine but I just use what I was taught academically and will have to use professionally. This is not taken lightly either, when someone is given a diagnosis as an addict, this is seen as chronic. You can specify if someone is in full or partial remission, and early or sustained remission (i.e. not actively 'addicted') but if someone receives this diagnosis, it's lifelong - this is the disease model. There are certainly exceptions but the reason this is considered chronic is because if someone ever meets the criteria for substance dependence disorder, get clean and better there is still VERY lows odds they'll ever be able to use in a controlled and responsible manner. Again, there are exceptions but this is not the norm.
Clinically speaking, you can easily acquire and discard physical dependence but there is no "I was an addict to heroin for 3 years" but only "I was physically dependent on heroin for 3 years and I have substance dependence disorder" (no matter how long after).
Essentially - addiction is characterized by the problems someone's use creates not by what happens when they stop taking it.
Using clinical definitions, you absolutely can not be an addict after one use because to be diagnosed an addict or even a substance abuser requires "A maladaptive pattern of substance use, leading to clinically significant impairment or distress". One use does not a pattern make.
If people want to use their own definitions, that's fine but I just use what I was taught academically and will have to use professionally. This is not taken lightly either, when someone is given a diagnosis as an addict, this is seen as chronic. You can specify if someone is in full or partial remission, and early or sustained remission (i.e. not actively 'addicted') but if someone receives this diagnosis, it's lifelong - this is the disease model. There are certainly exceptions but the reason this is considered chronic is because if someone ever meets the criteria for substance dependence disorder, get clean and better there is still VERY lows odds they'll ever be able to use in a controlled and responsible manner. Again, there are exceptions but this is not the norm.
Clinically speaking, you can easily acquire and discard physical dependence but there is no "I was an addict to heroin for 3 years" but only "I was physically dependent on heroin for 3 years and I have substance dependence disorder" (no matter how long after).
withoutawire
Greenlighter
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2011
- Messages
- 11
Yes you can be an addict without using everyday. Also, physical dependency or lack of does not make up addiction. Addiction is a pshycological disease from drugs rewiring your reward pathway after abusing. Addiction can be a monthly thing, but if if drugs interfere with your life in a significant way to you AND you cannot stop doing it then you have a drug addiction. When drugs get in the way of your life or you cannot stop taking them from cravings then you could also be considered a drug addict.