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Physical dependence (or drug dependence) refers to a state resulting from habitual use of a drug, where negative physical withdrawal symptoms result from abrupt discontinuation.[Drug Addiction. CNN.] From the point of view of the dependent person, "dependence is duress," argues addiction researcher Griffith Edwards.[Griffith Edwards. Alcohol: The World\'s Favourite Drug. 1st US ed. Thomas Dunne Books: 2002. ISBN 0-312-28387-3. P 72.]
Symptoms
Increased heart rate and/or blood pressure, sweating, and tremors are common signs of withdrawal. More serious symptoms such as confusion, seizures, and visual hallucinations indicate a serious emergency and the need for immediate medical care. Alcohol, benzodiazepines, and barbiturates are the only commonly abused substances that can be fatal in withdrawal. Abrupt withdrawal from other drugs, such as opioids or psychostimulants, can exaggerate mild to moderate neurotoxic side effects due to hyperthermia and generation of free radicals[Sharma HS, Sjöquist PO, Ali SF. "Drugs of abuse-induced hyperthermia, blood-brain barrier dysfunction and neurotoxicity: neuroprotective effects of a new antioxidant compound H-290/51." Current Pharmaceutical Design. 2007;13(18):1903-23. PMID 17584116], but life-threatening complications are very rare.
Treatment
Treatment for physical dependence depends upon the drug being withdrawn and often includes administration of another drug, especially for substances that can be dangerous when abruptly discontinued. Treatment usually requires the initiation and then tapering of a medication that has a similar action in the brain but a longer half-life.
Difference from Addiction
Physical dependence is different from drug addiction. The latter is often characterized by a psychological need for a drug, while the former can often be the result of legal, long-term use of medicine.[Drug Abuse - Addiction vs. Dependence. Our Chronic Pain Mission.]
Drugs that cause physical dependence
Commonly abused stimulants such as cocaine or amphetamine class drugs are not believed to cause significant physical dependence contrary to popular belief. Their potential for extreme physiological addiction can compel the user to consume amounts which become physically damaging but life threatening withdrawal effects have not been observed.
References
See also
External links
- Drugs causing physical dependence taken from Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, Section 15, Chapter 195" Merck Manual.
| WHO ICD-10 mental and behavioural disorders (F · 290–319) |
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| Neurological/symptomatic | Dementia (Alzheimer\'s disease, multi-infarct dementia, Pick\'s disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Huntington\'s disease, Parkinson\'s disease, AIDS dementia complex, Frontotemporal dementia) · Delirium · Post-concussion syndrome |
|---|
| Psychoactive substance | alcohol (drunkenness, alcohol dependence, delirium tremens, Korsakoff\'s syndrome, alcohol abuse) · opioids (opioid dependency) · sedative/hypnotic (benzodiazepine withdrawal) · cocaine (ef="/wiki-Cocaine_dependence" title="Cocaine dependence">cocaine dependence) · general (Intoxication, Drug abuse, Physical dependence, Withdrawal) |
|---|
| Psychotic disorder | Schizophrenia (disorganized schizophrenia) · Schizotypal personality disorder · Delusional disorder · Folie à deux · Schizoaffective disorder |
|---|
| Mood (affective) | Mania · Bipolar disorder · Clinical depression · Cyclothymia · Dysthymia |
|---|
Neurotic, stress-related
and somatoform | Anxiety disorder (Agoraphobia, Panic disorder, Panic attack, Generalized anxiety disorder, Social anxiety) · OCD · Acute stress reaction · PTSD · Adjustment disorder · Conversion disorder (Ganser syndrome) · Somatoform disorder (Somatization disorder, Body dysmorphic disorder, Hypochondriasis, Nosophobia, Da Costa\'s syndrome, Psychalgia) · Neurasthenia |
|---|
Physiological/physical
behavioural | Eating disorder (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa) · Sleep disorder (dyssomnia, insomnia, hypersomnia, parasomnia, night terror, nightmare) · Sexual dysfunction (erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, vaginismus, dyspareunia, hypersexuality) · Postnatal depression |
|---|
Adult personality
and behaviour | Personality disorder · Passive-aggressive behavior · Kleptomania · Trichotillomania · Voyeurism · Factitious disorder · Munchausen syndrome · Ego-dystonic sexual orientation · Fetishism |
|---|
| Mental retardation | Mental retardation |
|---|
Psychological development
(developmental disorder) | Specific: speech and language (expressive language disorder, aphasia, expressive aphasia, receptive aphasia, Landau-Kleffner syndrome, lisp) · Scholastic skills (dyslexia, dysgraphia, Gerstmann syndrome) · Motor function (developmental dyspraxia)
Pervasive: Autism · Rett syndrome · Asperger syndrome |
|---|
Behavioural and emotional,
childhood and adolescence onset | ADHD · Conduct disorder · Oppositional defiant disorder · Separation anxiety disorder · Selective mutism · Reactive attachment disorder · Tic disorder · Tourette syndrome · Speech (stuttering · cluttering) |
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia
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