What is addiction?

When it comes to drug addiction, a distinction can be made between physical and psychological dependence.

One can speak of physical dependence when the body protests to stopped usage of the drug. Withdrawal symptoms occur. Another physical aspect of drug addiction is tolerance. This means that the user needs increased amounts of a substance to feel the same effect. Physical dependence and tolerance are caused by the drug itself. There are drugs which bring both phenomena with them but also drugs for which neither of the phenomena occur.

Psychological dependence means that the user has the idea that he or she can no longer function without use of the drug. Psychological dependence thus depends more upon the user than the substance itself.