Substance abuse differs from addiction. Many people with substance abuse problems are able to quit or change their behavior.

Addiction is a disease that affects your brain and behavior. With drug addiction, you can’t resist the urge to use them.

 If you’re worried that you or a loved one may have an addiction, there are signs to help you know.

"Addiction,” “tolerance,” and “physical dependence” are often used interchangeably. But they don’t mean the same thing.

A first step in addressing addiction is to recognize and accept how alcohol and substance use is impacting your life.

The barriers to finding and getting proper substance use treatment vary from person to person.

Addiction can be hard to beat even when you have good insurance for treatments. But what if you’re uninsured?

Studies suggest that about half of a person’s risk of developing a drug addiction is based on their genetic makeup.

About half of people with substance use disorder also have depression, anxiety, or another type of mental illness.

If you’re transgender or nonbinary, discrimination and stigma may lead to these types of mental health challenges.

You may wonder: How can you tell when drug or alcohol use is risky? And when has it crossed the line into causing harm?

CAGE stands for Cut, Annoyed, Guilty, and Eye, based on questions that can assess if you have a substance abuse problem.

A toxicology test (drug test or “tox screen”) looks for traces of drugs in your blood, urine, hair, sweat, or saliva.

‌A urine drug test, or urinalysis, is a common way to find out if someone has recently used illegal drugs.

Substance misuse causes severe side effects. One of the significant side effects is changes in the appearance of the eyes.

If you have a substance use disorder, you could be low on certain nutrients you need to be healthy.

Substance misuse or withdrawal from drugs can cause sleep problems or make them worse.

Federal laws protect people who are in recovery for substance abuse and no longer use illegal drugs.

People who abuse drugs or have an alcohol addiction are up to 14 times more likely to die by suicide than others.

You’re in the ER and the doctor has a question: Do you use any drugs? If the answer is yes, should you tell your doctor?

You may want to seek out early intervention if you think you or a loved one is misusing substances.

If you’re thinking about asking for help with drug or alcohol addiction, congratulations!

If you think you have a problem with addictive substances, bring it up with your doctor.

Also called detoxification or withdrawal treatment, detox is the process of clearing the substance from your body.

When you’re ready to get sober, you’ll find many people to support you, from your regular doctor to peer support groups.

Researchers are now looking at whether there might be some benefits of ketamine in the fight against addiction.

Deep brain stimulation is a promising but still unproven approach in treating addiction.

If you’re looking for help with an addiction for yourself or a loved one, you might run across centers offering NAD therapy.

Counseling is a mainstay of substance use disorder treatment for many people.

Experts think regular physical activity can act as a healthy stand-in for addictive substances.

About 40% to 60% of people who get treatment for substance use disorder have a relapse.

You’ve taken steps to get sober. Support, and a good plan for managing urges and stress, can make staying there easier.

When you think about stopping your substance use, physical and mental exercise probably aren’t the first things on your mind.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic illness in which you can’t stop or control your drinking.

Are you falling for common misconceptions about alcohol use disorder?

No one becomes addicted to alcohol overnight. You don’t catch alcoholism the way you do the common cold.

If you've had two or three of these symptoms in the past year, that’s a mild alcohol use disorder.

When is a drink just a harmless drink? When is it best not to drink at all? What are “risky” drinking and binge drinking?

Binge drinking is when you drink enough alcohol to bring your blood-alcohol content up to the legal limit for driving.

If you have a problem with alcohol, you might have decided on your own that it’s time to stop drinking.

Dry drunk syndrome means a person has quit drinking but hasn't dealt with the issues that caused them to become addicted.

If you think your drinking is impacting your life negatively, accepting it as a problem is the first step toward solving it.

There’s no specific number of drinks that means you have AUD. The diagnosis depends on how alcohol affects your life.

To check your blood for alcohol, your doctor uses a needle to take blood from your arm and measure the amount of alcohol.

A breath alcohol test measures how much alcohol is in the air you breathe out.

Too much alcohol can harm you physically and mentally in lots of ways.

‌Potomania can happen when you drink alcohol excessively in the form of beer and don't eat a proper diet.

Alcohol poisoning is when there’s too much alcohol in your blood, and it causes parts of your brain to shut down.

Alcoholic myopathy is a muscle condition that can affect people with alcoholism or binge drinkers.

How much, and even the type of alcohol, you drink can cause problems with your bowel movements.

Alcoholic gastritis is caused by drinking too much, too often. The alcohol gradually irritates and erodes the stomach lining.

Alcoholic ketoacidosis can happen when you’ve had a lot of alcohol and haven't had much to eat or have been vomiting.

Alcohol often has harmful interactions with prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs, and even herbal remedies.

People might use alcohol to help ease depression and anxiety, but excessive alcohol use can also worsen mental health.

Over half of alcohol-related deaths are because of health effects from drinking too much over time.

 Heavy drinking can hit you in the pocketbook in many ways.

When you’re concerned that someone you love drinks too heavily, it can be hard to know what to do.

As with many other conditions, early intervention and treatment can help your loved one get better faster.

Detox alone isn’t treatment, but it’s the first step to getting better for people who are dependent on alcohol.

If you drink heavily for weeks, months, or years, you may have unwanted physical and mental symptoms when you try to stop.

If you've gone through alcohol withdrawal once, you're more likely to go through it again the next time you call it quits.

Gabapentin is now being reconsidered and researched as a treatment for alcohol use disorder.

Delirium tremens, also called DTs or alcohol withdrawal delirium (AWD), is a severe type of withdrawal from alcohol.

Research shows that drinking a lot over a long time -- as in alcohol use disorder -- often leads to poor nutrition.

Hypnotherapy can make a useful addition to a treatment plan for alcohol use disorders or other substance abuse issues.

Recovery from alcohol use disorder (AUD) is about more than avoiding alcohol. It calls for life changes.

Recovering from alcohol misuse means forming new, lifelong habits, including ones related to nutrition.

In emotional support groups for people with alcohol use disorder, you can relate to other people with the same condition.

When you're recovering from alcohol use disorder, a relapse is when you start drinking again.

A national health crisis, 3 million people in the U.S. have opioid use disorder (OUD), or they’ve had it in the past.

According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, 3.8 percent of American adults abuse opioids each year.

Fentanyl is a human-made opioid used to treat severe pain. It's 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine.

Heroin is a drug that comes from a flower, the opium poppy, which usually grows in Mexico, Asia, and South America.

People don’t usually develop an addiction or other problem with opioid use right away.

You might need an opioid test to start a new job or to complete an application for life or disability insurance.

Taking opioids the wrong way can lead to unwanted side effects, some of which are life-threatening.

Opioid addiction and misuse carries lots of risks. The drugs can put you at greater risk for cardiovascular conditions.

Any opioids -- even legal ones you get from your doctor -- can be harmful to you and your baby during pregnancy.

If your baby is born with neonatal abstinence syndrome, treatment can help them get better.

Opioid tapering means that you’ll gradually lower the amount of opioid you’re taking.

Opioid withdrawal is what happens when you stop taking opioid drugs after your body has come to rely on them to feel OK.

Quitting fentanyl is difficult under any circumstances, due to the extreme withdrawal symptoms it causes.

You need to recognize and respond quickly to the signs and symptoms of opiate or opioid misuse that need emergency care.

Whatever the situation, you’ve realized you may have a problem with opioids. What should you do?

It takes more than willpower to break free of prescription drug misuse, but you can escape the cycle of detox and relapse.

Buprenorphine is an opioid partial agonist. It helps ease opioid withdrawal symptoms and cravings.

Naloxone (Narcan, Evzio) and naltrexone (ReVia, Depade) are two drugs used to help people with opioid addictions.

Suboxone is a drug that may be prescribed in medication assisted therapy or treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder.

Even though it’s safer than some other narcotics, your doctor should keep a close watch while you take methadone.

Methadone and Suboxone can help ease withdrawal symptoms and block the high that makes opioids so addictive.

Methadone is an opioid painkiller that comes with its own risks for misuse, dependence, and overdose.

If you have an opioid use disorder, you may wonder if vitamins or supplements can help you reach your treatment goals.

Opioid addiction treatment likely includes counseling and meds. Social support, such as recovery groups, will help too.

For those struggling with the effects of the addictive drugs, clinical trials could help develop effective treatments.

In early recovery from opioid use disorder or dependence, you will likely experience post-acute withdrawal syndrome.

Opioid cravings can last 20 minutes or 2 hours. It’s different for each person, but they'll go away with time if managed well.

While recovering from an opioid use disorder, your eating habits might have slipped for a bit. But you can get back on track.

For people struggling with opioid use, one recovery tool that’s been available for decades is Narcotics Anonymous (NA).

People in addiction recovery need all the help they can get. Tools and resources are available that can assist in recovery.

A relapse with opioids means you return to using after a period of sobriety. This might happen after you finish treatment.

You’re more likely to overdose when you relapse after not using opioids for a while. That’s because of a lower drug tolerance.

Harm reduction services can help people living with a range of health issues, from drug use problems to risky sexual habits.

A medication called naloxone can reverse the effects of an overdose of heroin or some types of painkillers.

If you’ve ever misused or continue to use opioids, you may know the feeling of being judged.

If you have opioid use disorder and in treatment, or you are no longer taking opioids, you have rights and protections.

Before you even considered the possibility of opioid use disorder, you probably had some concerns about your family member.

Marijuana misuse can have dire consequences if left untreated. It’s possible to misuse it and get addicted to it.

Despite increasing acceptance, marijuana use does have some risks. Here's a look at how marijuana can affect your health.

Marijuana has mind-altering compounds that affect both your brain and body. It can be addictive, and it may be harmful.

Long-term use of cannabis can reduce the effects of its intoxication. So you can develop a tolerance for the drug.

Delta-8 THC is a naturally occurring chemical compound that’s found in small traces in hemp and cannabis plants. 

Hexahydrocannabinol, or “HHC,” is a cannabinoid, which are naturally occurring compounds in cannabis plants.

Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) is a rare condition that you might get if you regularly use cannabis for a long time.

Prescription drug abuse is when you take a medication for a reason other than why the doctor prescribed it.

Addiction is a complex disease brought on by many reasons, including your lifestyle and genes.

Opioid meds do relieve back pain for short periods, but they're strong -- and they come with some serious risks.

Percocet is a mix of acetaminophen and oxycodone. Taking it doesn't come without side effects.

Some people, especially younger adults and teens, misuse Adderall to get high or to feel alert and energetic.

Barbiturates can be dangerous because the correct dose is difficult to predict. A slight overdose can cause coma or death.

Benzodiazepine abuse is more common than you may think. Left untreated, abusing these drugs can negatively impact your life.

Nearly 1 in 3 people who use benzos also take opioids. Mixing them heightens your chances for side effects or overdosing.