Substance use disorders in the 5 provide a list of addictions
relating to the following substances:1
Alcohol
Tobacco
Opioids (like heroin)
Prescription drugs (sedatives, hypnotics, or anxiolytics like
sleeping pills and tranquilizers)
Cocaine
Cannabis (marijuana)
Amphetamines (like methamphetamines, known as meth)
Hallucinogens
Inhalants
Phencyclidine
What to know about chemical addiction.
often confusion around what constitutes substance misuse,
dependency, and addiction.
Common symptoms of substance use disorder include:
intense enough to affect your ability to think about other things
a need to use more of the substance to experience the same
effects
unease or discomfort if you can’t easily access the substance
risky substance use, like driving or working while using it
trouble managing work, school, or household responsibilities
because of substance use
friendship or relationship difficulties related to substance use
spending less time on activities you used to enjoy
an inability to stop using the substance
withdrawal symptoms when you try to quit
Some of the more common addictive substances include:
alcohol
opioids, including both heroin as well as prescription pain
medication like oxycodone and morphine
cannabis
nicotine
amphetamines
cocaine
methamphetamine
Therapy
Psychotherapy and addiction counseling can help with
recovery, especially if someone started using substances to deal
with distressing emotions.
A therapist can help them explore some of the reasons behind
their substance use and come up with new coping
strategies for dealing with challenges.
Medication
In some cases, medication can help people working through
addiction have greater success with recovery.
It can be particularly helpful for preventing relapses in people
dealing with substance use disorder involving alcohol, nicotine,
or opioids. These medications work in different ways, but they
generally help reduce for the substance and reduce symptoms
of withdrawal.
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