What is Addiction and how is it Different from Physical Dependence?
Let’s look at a typical situation. A person is prescribed an opioid pain medicine such as Oxycodone, for a back injury. They take the prescribed amount for a few weeks. Within this period, they will have developed a tolerance for the medication; meaning the prescribed amount will not have the same effect as it did on day one. Hence, they will need to take more to receive the same effect. Often at this time the pain has diminished, and the person can discontinue the medication. But suppose the pain is still there and the person needs to work, care for children, and so on. The doctor may prescribe either a stronger pain medicine or more of the same medicine. This cycle may continue for weeks or months – small increases in medication to maintain the same relief of discomfort. After a few months the person has built up a significant tolerance to opioid medication. Tolerance becomes physical dependence; meaning if the medication is abruptly discontinued, the body will send those survival si
