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Chronic Substance Abuse

Chronic substance abuse may be best defined as addiction. Using terminology of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), "addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences as well as neurochemical and molecular changes in the brain."

Anyone can become dependent upon substances -- such as alcohol, illicit drugs and/or prescription drugs used nonmedically -- if they use them consistently over time, increasing amount and frequency, and depending on multiple other contributing factors. These may include genetic predisposition (especially alcoholism, which tends to run in families), environment, peer pressure, and other factors.

Can a person abuse substances chronically and not become dependent or addicted? In some individuals, perhaps this is true, but research studies show that continued abuse of substances is more likely to result in greater problems in the individual's life, often leading to addiction.

--Suzannekane 02:09, 1 March 2011 (UTC)