What is a drug addiction?
Drug addiction is an addictive disorder in which people take medications in a medically unreasonable amount, often in too high doses. There is a wide range of potentially addictive drugs. Perhaps the best-known example of drug dependence is the opioid crisis in the USA. According to studies, several million people there are addicted to painkillers and thousands have already died from overdoses. But drug addiction is also a serious problem in Germany.
These symptoms indicate a drug dependence
Drug addiction can have many symptoms or forms. The WHO therefore defines dependence according to several criteria. At least three of these criteria must be met in the course of the last year in order to be considered a dependency.
These criteria are:
- Craving, i.e. the strong desire or desire to consume the corresponding substance.
- Difficulties in controlling the use of the substance in question.
- Tolerance development, i.e. over time more and more substance must be taken to achieve the same effect.
- Withdrawal syndrome when the substance is discontinued.
- Restriction to the corresponding substance. Other activities are neglected in favor of substance use.
- Continued consumption of substances, although it is known that consequential damage is accepted. However, the boundaries between harmful use, misuse or dependence on a drug are often blurred, making accurate diagnosis difficult.
These drugs have a high potential for drug dependence
A variety of drugs can cause addiction. The best known example of this is strong painkillers. These are also referred to as opioids because they act on so-called opioid receptors.
Heroin, which was originally developed as an analgesic, also belongs to this group. Although modern opioids differ in their strength and effect, there is a great danger of developing dependency, especially when used for a long time and improperly. In addition to painkillers, mainly attenuating drugs or sleeping pills are a group of drugs with a high potential for dependence.
Benzodiazepines are often taken as sleeping pills. However, there is a high risk of developing dependency or withdrawal symptoms if used over a long period. The situation is similar with drugs used for sedation.
Benzodiazepines also belong to this group. However, drugs which at first sight appear harmless can also cause dependence. These include certain nasal sprays or laxatives. Here the risk is mainly in getting used to taking them, so that without them normal body function is no longer guaranteed. In addition to these groups, there are many other drugs that can cause a drug dependency.
