is drug addiction the same sort of dependency as alcohol addiction?

Answer 1

alcohol is a drug so being addicted to alcohol is a drug addiction...i spose

Answer 2

There's the question of 'addiction' and 'dependency'.

One is an overwhelming desire, the other is an 'absolute need to enable normal functioning'.

Eg. Some people are addicted to gambling but this addiction does not affect their physical well being, whereas alcohol dependency means that (for example) a person's body chemistry has become *dependent' on alcohol being present.

Different drugs (of which alcohol is one) cause different types of dependency. Eg. Cannabis does not cause dependency, although it does cause an increase in tolerance (ie. the more it is used, the more it is needed to achieve the same affect).

Alcohol is probably the most common drug that causes dependency first. Other drugs (illegal ones) tend to cause addiction first and dependency as a secondary.

It's very hard to measure one drug against another with regard to it's addictiveness/dependency as it is subjective to each person.

Answer 3

YES MOST DEFINATELY!
Although u are nowadays encouraged to drink Alcoholic Beverages more and more due to extended opening hrs. in Pubs clubs and advertisments in every concievable place regarding a new Alcoholic Drink now available.
Because Alcohol is so readily available and u do not need a precription to get it there is somewhat of a ? surrounding it's addictiveness and how much u can really have to become addicted this results in more denial.
Today, it is far from uncommon for ppl to consume alcohol at home and even have their own bars therefore, it is not suprising that the amount of ppl who can say "i need help, theres something definately wrong here" is far lower than dtug addiction via prescription medication.
The first symptom of any addiction is firstly psycological where u feel as though u could do with a drink irrespective of time, this is shortly followed by the "Need to have a drink" which is completely different as at this time u begin to show the initial signs of withdrawal. Maybe as an example any or all and more of the following : Change in temperant eg mood swings, irritabitlity, muscle spasms, twitching , nausea, and the list continues on and on.
Eventually u find that u cannot fuction from the moment you wake until going to bed unless u get ur regular "FIX" which in this case is alcohol. If u didnt do so before u find yourself keeping alhohol in the house and gradually u may find that u loose pride in the simple things like washing, changing your clothes regularly , shaving if ur male occurs. Also u may even notice by this stage that even if your past temperament was placid u now become violent if u dont get your "fix" . By the time this stage is reached as with all addictions u may find yourself loosing intentest in everything else, more than likely by now depressed and not eating.
Usually an unrelated visit to your dr. u will be told and various tests will be advised to check liver and kidney function initally and if the obvious symptoms of jaundice are not present by this time u would be advised to be tested.
Like any other addiction a dr. can only present the facts to u and what the prognosis is likely to be should u continue to drink and can only urge u to seek THE APPROPRIATE HELP A.S.A.P.
Although with other addictions the dr, may beable to take the initial steps to help u. As with any any addiction any steps taken by a gp is useless the person in question can admit they do have a problem a require help they are wasting their time.
As with ALL ADDICITIONS withdrawal is unforunuately part of the proccess of becoming clean complete with all its undesirable effects, in certain cases however medication can be given to make "Cold Turkey" more barable. Medication does however alot of the the time be reserved for those who have existing health problems though this rule does not always apply.
I hope i have answered your question and in repitition i can only say YES ANY ADDICTION IS BORN OUT OF THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES ON THE WHOLE AND THE DEPENDANCY AND OUTCOME IS RELATIVELY THE SAME.
The one thing every addiction has in common is *WITHDRAWAL*.........Not a good place to go to under any circimstances.

Answer 4

drugs and alcohol change the way your brain works by putting chemicals into the bloodstream that are not usually there in such quantities your body can then become used to these chemicals and eventually you may not feel normal without the chemicals drug addiction is much stronger than alcohol addiction usually, it really depends on the drug(s) you are talking about, the physical addiction to heroin is extremely strong and would be be a lot harder to give up than alcohol there is however psychological addiction which can be applied to almost anything if you begin to associate pleasure or good feelings with substances or activities you may find yourself becoming addicted to the feeling and through this the substance this can be applied to most things in theory and the psychological addiction to alcohol could well be stronger than that of minor drugs such as cannabis

Answer 5

The effect of addiction can be broken into two main types. Physical dependency and psychological dependency.
When one is physically dependant the body suffers withdrawal symptoms as the substance (one is addicted to) is no longer in the body and the body finds it difficult to compensate. These drugs include alcohol heroin and the opiate family
Other addictions like cocaine and cannabis do not force the body into physical dependency but the addict does suffer anxiety and psychological symptoms missing the drug.
The symptoms of the withdrawal can vary from person to person and definitely from drug to drug. Examples being that "Drying out" is much different from "Cold Turkey".
I hope this makes sense.

Answer 6

Alcohol is a drug.

In fact it is one of the hardest substances for long term abusers to give up.

Here are some fun "cold turkey" facts:

Heroin addicts never die directly from not taking opiates (heroin), whereas alcoholics will often enter terrible seizures that give them a kind of brain aneurysm.

If an alcoholic stops drinking he will often hallucinate and shake violently, these attacks are referred to as DT's. They are very serious and if left untreated can lead to death.

If a person were to drink excessively every day of his life, of inject opium every day of his life, after forty years the Opium addict would be in much better physical and mental health than the Alcoholic.

There are more alcohol related deaths in the UK then all the other drug related deaths put together!

Physical problems from alcohol abuse include:

Rapid deterioration of the skin, blindness, diabetes, amputation of the limbs, kidney failure, high blood pressure etc etc.

Alcohol is not just like a drug it is one of the worst and most addictive.

Answer 7

Not necessarily, It very much depends upon the drug you are talking about. Some drugs are chemically addictive, while for others it is psychological-cocaine is an example of the latter. But at the end of the day, dependency is dependency, and all addictions, no matter their aetiology, are extreemly difficult to give up especially if the apsects of one's personality which lies at the root of the addiction is not addressed first.

Answer 8

Yes.With alcohol addiction besides mental problems arising so do social problems. All drug addiction including alcohol suggests other under lying problems with a patient. If you know someone like this or are like this I suggest you seek help sooner rather than later as it does get worse, not better.

Answer 9

Yes absolutely. Alcohol is a drug the same as any other. If it was introduced today it would never be legalised. It is a powerful, insidious and alluring product. Best avoided if you are at all easily led. Life really is more vibrant without drugs.

Answer 10

Pretty much. People who get addicted on some thing are more likely to get hooked something as well. They just have an addictive personality and it can be fixed.