What is addiction?: A Definition

All of us use drugs on an everyday basis, even if we don’t realize it. Some of us take drugs in the morning to wake up, and we may feel like we can’t even talk to someone before we do! That’s coffee for you! We take drugs when we get out of work, hanging out with our friends and co-workers, like with alcohol and nicotine. So what gives? What is the difference between this use of drugs and the so called “dangerous” use of them? There is indeed a bit of a fine line between the different ways which we use and consume drugs. This has so much of a societal importance and has brought so much controversy that there are sections in the DSM- IV TR manual of Psychological Disorders. However, we may not realize that addiction is something that can affect any type of person regardless of their background. Addiction in itself is actually divided into two categories: substance dependence and substance abuse. While many individuals may abuse of a substance, these are not exactly substance dependent. Those who are substance dependent are those who meet the following criteria in the DSM. Those who fall within the criteria for substance dependence are those who we refer to as individuals with an addiction.