What is the difference between substance abuse and substance dependence?
Substance abuse describes a situation where the use of a substance interferes with someone’s life, such as their job, their health, or their relationships. Someone who thinks frequently about a substance and how they may obtain it may be abusing that substance. Substance dependence (or addiction), however, is a physical or mental dependence on a substance. Someone who is addicted to a substance feels they need it to function, and experiences unpleasant symptoms (withdrawal) when they cannot access the substance.
