Addictions come in many flavors and substance abuse is not the same as addiction

First, it is necessary to clarify that drug addicts and alcohol addicts have many things in common but still both groups are pretty different, so when addicts are concerned, it is necessary to clarify which kind of addict one has in mind. However, what both groups have in common is their dependency on the particular stuff and the way their lives (and the lives of their family, relatives and friends as well) are affected by the addict's dependency on alcohol or drugs.

Abuse or Addiction?

While most people will argue that there is no difference between abuse and addiction (alcoholism), actually they are not the same. Abuse is the earlier stage when the desire for alcohol or drugs is not so powerful and people are still able to control themselves. Abuse is usually related to alcohol mainly because most societies accept as normal that one can drink from time to time, while drugs are not accepted as normal, even in small quantities – i.e. there is a legitimate minimal use of alcohol (a glass of wine in the evening, or a pint of beer), while there is no legitimate minimal use of drugs, even lighter ones like marijuana.

Abuse is also used to describe dependency on pills and other medication that are normally used to treat diseases. It is not an exception to be dependent both on alcohol and pills, or on drugs and pills, which is a very unfavorable (and often lethal) combination.

One more difference between abuse and addiction is in the attitude towards the dependency. Most abusers do not admit their dependency and get angry when somebody points out the fact that they drink too much. Not that alcoholics are happy when they are told that they drink too much but since they are already in a stage when their dependency can't be hidden, they make no more efforts to deny the obvious. This difference makes it more difficult to treat abuse, even though it is the lighter stage because when people deny their dependency on drugs or alcohol and don't want to change this state of theirs, even the best rehab and detox centers will not be able to help them quit.

Abuse and Addiction Symptoms

Unlike with many other diseases, the symptoms of alcohol and drug abuse and addiction are visible to the rest of the world. With addiction it is clear right away, while abuse can be visible only to particular people – family, friends, etc., especially when abuse is done at home and it becomes another skeleton in the cupboard. But sometimes the early symptoms are not so obvious and even friends and family are not aware that somebody is on drugs or alcohol, unless they see it with their eyes.

There are several early symptoms that could be an eye-opener. For instance, long absences from home or long periods of isolation could be a symptom, especially when they are accompanied by frequent changes in behavior and attitude. For drug addicts tracks of needle marks are a certain sign. Lying, stealing and getting involved in various illegal activities that can provide stuff is also a symptom. Very often abuse, even in the early stages, leads to problems at school or at work due to the frequent absences and inadequate behavior. Of course, many of these symptoms can be of other diseases, for instance depression but if you notice them, together with red eyes for alcoholics and poor physical condition for both addicts, consider that you might have an abuser or addict to deal with.