Addiction: Concepts and Definitions
This article deals with a number of concepts related to the basic nature of addiction, that are widely used but often misused, and that have undergone significant changes since the term addiction first came into the common vocabulary. In the following discussion, the terms are grouped according to themes, rather than being arranged in alphabetic order.
Abuse and Misuse
In everyday English, abuse carries the connotations of improper, perverse, or corrupt use or practice, as in childabuse, or abuse of power. As applied to drugs, however, the term is difficult to define and carries different meanings in different contexts. In relation to therapeutic agents such as BENZONDIAZEPINES or MORPHINE, the term drug abuse is applied to their use for other than medical purposes, or in unnecessarily large quantities. With reference to licit but non-therapeutic substances such as ALCOHOL, it is understood to mean a level of use that is hazardous or damaging, either to the user or to others. When applied to illicit substances that have no recognizedmedical applications, such as PHENCYCLIDINE (PCP) or MESCALINE, any use is generally regarded as abuse. The term misuse refers more narrowly to the use of a therapeutic drug in any way other than what is regarded as good medical practice.
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