Legal Definitions - addiction

Addiction is the habitual and excessive use of a substance, especially a harmful one. It is typically characterized by emotional dependence leading to compulsive use, an increased tolerance requiring more potent doses, and physical dependence that results in withdrawal symptoms if the substance is withheld.

Addiction refers to the compulsive and habitual use of a substance, particularly one that can be harmful, where an individual develops a strong dependence on it. This dependence typically involves several key characteristics:

• Emotional or Psychological Dependence: A powerful urge or craving for the substance, leading to compulsive use despite negative consequences.
• Tolerance: The need to consume increasingly larger amounts of the substance to achieve the same desired effect.
• Physical Dependence: The body adapts to the substance's presence, resulting in uncomfortable or painful withdrawal symptoms if its use is stopped or significantly reduced.

Here are some examples illustrating addiction:

• Example 1: Prescription Painkiller Addiction

  A person is prescribed opioid painkillers after a severe injury. Initially, they take the medication as directed for pain management. However, even after the physical injury has healed, they continue to take the pills, feeling an intense emotional need for them to cope with daily stress or simply to feel "normal." Over time, they find they need to take more pills than before to achieve the same sense of relief, indicating increased tolerance. If they try to stop taking the medication, they experience severe physical symptoms like muscle aches, nausea, and intense anxiety, demonstrating physical dependence and withdrawal.

  This illustrates addiction because the individual's use of the substance has become habitual and compulsive, driven by both an emotional craving and a physical need. They exhibit tolerance by requiring higher doses and suffer withdrawal symptoms upon cessation, fulfilling the key characteristics of addiction.

• Example 2: Alcohol Addiction

  An individual begins drinking alcohol socially, but gradually increases their consumption over several years. They start to feel a strong psychological need to drink every evening to relax or fall asleep, becoming irritable and anxious if they cannot. They notice they can now consume a much larger quantity of alcohol than their friends without feeling intoxicated, indicating a developed tolerance. If they attempt to stop drinking for a few days, they experience tremors, profuse sweating, and severe anxiety, which are classic withdrawal symptoms.

  This scenario demonstrates addiction as the person's alcohol use has progressed to a habitual and intemperate pattern. They exhibit emotional dependence through their compulsive need to drink, tolerance by requiring more alcohol for the desired effect, and physical dependence through the onset of withdrawal symptoms when they try to abstain.