What is the difference between Abuse and Addiction?

There is a fine line between abuse and drug addiction. Drug abuse pertains mostly to people who have engaged in certain behaviors or patterns for a year or more. The continuous use of drugs or alcohol becomes a significant problem in a person’s life, ruining their relationships, career, health, and overall well-being.

Legal or financial issues may also come to the realization at this time. Abuse could also mean the amount of the substance you use or the way you take it. It is considered drug abuse when you consume too many drugs or alcohol; it could also be a problem if you get drunk or high and drive.

On the other hand, addiction is more severe of an issue, which is the point at which you develop a very high tolerance for drugs or alcohol. Abuse and addiction are similar; however, you still care about other things in your life with abuse. With addiction, it takes over your entire life.

The user will take more drugs or alcohol for the desired effect until the amount taken or consumed is so great that it could kill you. Withdraw symptoms can also occur with addiction, which may also be lethal, specifically in those who abruptly stop a narcotic drug or cut off from something that their body has become dependent on.

Abuse and addiction are two different noun words that give a negative impression of something or someone. Abuse can be referred to as improper usage of a substance. Substances that are popularly abused are drugs and alcohol. Abuse can also be referred to as wrong or corrupt or unlawful practice, such as misconduct on the road. Abuse is not only limited to materials but also extend to human beings. On the other hand, addiction is a habit, usually a bad and immoral habit. Addiction can also be related to substances that can be abused. It usually starts in the form of abuse and later graduates to addiction. It becomes an addiction when one has already developed a tolerance for a thing; that is, the normal use of it has absolutely no effect on him. This makes addiction a worse behavior compared to abuse and usually extremely difficult to stop.

There are some people who use abuse and addiction interchangeably, but you should remember that they are different from each other. When you say abuse, this is when people know their limits, but they still go beyond their limits in order to make themselves feel better.

For example, someone who is doing alcohol abuse will continue drinking even though he knows that he is already drunk. When you say addiction, this means that the person feels that he cannot live anymore without drinking alcoholic beverages. For example, some people know that they are not supposed to drink every day, but since they are addicted, they keep on doing it every day.

Abuse and addiction are two words that can be easily thought to be the same. Most times, when people are talking about the word 'addiction,' they usually tend to give it a meaning that goes perfectly with what you will get when you define the word 'abuse' itself. Abuse and addiction are two different words. As a noun, Abuse means an improper treatment or the application of something to a bad purpose.

As a verb, it means to misapply misuse to the point that it results in a wrong or bad end. Addiction, on the other hand, refers to a practice or habit that jeopardizes or damages one's life, which has now become a part of you. People are addicted to a lot of things. Addiction also means a compulsive indulgence in certain practices that are rewarding, which later result in various negative consequences. It is important to know that anything you incessantly abuse can turn to addiction.