Substance abuse refers to the overindulgence in and dependence on a stimulant, depressant, chemical substance, herb (plant) or fungus leading to effects that are detrimental to the individual's physical health or mental health, or the welfare of others.

The disorder is characterized by a pattern of continued pathological use of a medication, non-medically indicated drug or toxin, that results in repeated adverse social consequences related to drug use, such as failure to meet work, family, or school obligations, interpersonal conflicts, or legal problems. There are on-going debates as to the exact distinctions between substance abuse and substance dependence, but current practice standard distinguishes between the two by defining substance dependence in terms of physiological and behavioral symptoms of substance use, and substance abuse in terms of the social consequences of substance use.

Substance abuse may lead to addiction or substance dependence. Medically, physiologic dependence requires the development of tolerance leading to withdrawal symptoms. Both abuse and dependence are distinct from addiction which involves a compulsion to continue using the substance despite the negative consequences, and may or may not involve chemical dependency. Dependence almost always implies abuse, but abuse frequently occurs without dependence, particularly when an individual first begins to abuse a substance. Dependence involves physiological processes while substance abuse reflects a complex interaction between the individual, the abused substance and society. ^*

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RT @TheGoToSite Veterans lead the nation: homelessness, unemployment depression, substance abuse, & suicides. Be part of the solution. #sot
bright_lioness (Caroline) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:55:07 -0000
RT @TheGoToSite Veterans lead the nation: homelessness, unemployment depression, substance abuse, & suicides. Be part of the solution. #sot
RT @OperationPTSD: RT @TheGoToSite: Vets lead the nation in homelessness, unemployment depression, substance abuse, (cont) http://tl.gd/rejq
philosopher1967 (John W. Dowell) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:10:49 -0000
RT @OperationPTSD: RT @TheGoToSite: Vets lead the nation in homelessness, unemployment depression, substance abuse, (cont) http://tl.gd/rejq
V @TheGoToSite: Veterans lead nation in homelessness, unemployment depression, substance abuse & suicides. Let's all be part of the solution
ilovemytroops (Tamra ILoveMyTroops) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:03:10 -0000
V @TheGoToSite: Veterans lead nation in homelessness, unemployment depression, substance abuse & suicides. Let's all be part of the solution
RT @TheGoToSite: Vets lead the nation in homelessness, unemployment depression, substance abuse, and suicides. Be part of the solution.
OperationPTSD (OperationPTSD) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:55:33 -0000
RT @TheGoToSite: Vets lead the nation in homelessness, unemployment depression, substance abuse, and suicides. Be part of the solution.
just got out of substance abuse class again 8 more to go ... http://lnk.ms/4Kj8n
mr_sweetz (alfredo ramirez) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:22:59 -0000
just got out of substance abuse class again 8 more to go ... http://lnk.ms/4Kj8n
just got out of substance abuse class again 8 more to go
mr_sweetz (alfredo ramirez) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:22:03 -0000
just got out of substance abuse class again 8 more to go

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