What is physical dependence?
Physical dependence occurs when a person uses a drug on a regular basis over time. Gradually, the person’s body adapts to the presence of the drug, so that without the drug, the person cannot function normally. When drug use is abruptly stopped in a physically dependent individual, the person goes through “withdrawal”, where signs and symptoms opposite to the drug’s general effects on the body are seen. Physical withdrawal is not the same as addiction.