Weed vs Alcohol: Is One Better Than the Other?

If someone misuses substances over a prolonged period of time, they can develop SUD. If a person continually engages in substance misuse over a prolonged period and uses high doses of the substance, they may develop SUD. These effects occur due to the intoxication that substance use causes and the physical and psychological dependence that the person develops. Has been an expert in addiction medicine for more than 15 years. In addition to managing a successful family medical practice, Dr. Hoffman is board certified in addiction medicine by the American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine (AOAAM).

• Even though every person is responsible for their own actions, there must be an understanding that an alcohol or drug addict’s behaviors are chemically profound.
• In fact, the names are a bit misleading—alcohol is a kind of drug, and logically can be included in the forms of drug addiction.
• At Beachside Rehab, we know what it is to feel absolutely alone while feeling powerless, held in the grip of an addictive substance.
• But recent research has shown that even marijuana may have more harmful physical, mental, and psychomotor effects than first believed.
• However, they are more effective in combination with behavioral therapies.

Other life-changing complications

It is made as a by-product of the fermentation of natural sugars. John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE is board-certified in addiction medicine and preventative medicine. For over 20 years Dr. Umhau was a senior clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Dependence vs. Addiction: Understanding the Difference

• Sometimes called the “opioid epidemic,” addiction to opioid prescription pain medicines has reached an alarming rate across the United States.
• There are many signs of alcohol use disorder, but you will know your loved one has developed this condition if you can no longer get through the day or week without drinking.
• With the advent of telehealth addiction treatment programs, addiction treatment is more accessible than ever.
• In that case, it is important to know about the 5 stages of addiction, the recovery process, and withdrawal symptoms to help them at every step until they recover.
• Our holistic treatment approach focuses on the individual and their addiction, how it came to be, and how it can be overcome.

All of the information on this page has been reviewed and verified by a certified addiction professional. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, a prevention hotline can help. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day at 988. During a crisis, people who are hard of hearing can use their preferred relay service or dial 711 then 988. Do not allow COVID-19 https://ecosoberhouse.com/ to stop you from seeking the care you need.

Long Term Damage of Untreated Alcoholism

But at higher doses, it acts as a depressant, meaning that ultimately it does more harm to the body than good. It’s important to teach children, adolescents, and adults about the prevalence and dangers of substance use and help them develop resilience skills to avoid using substances. Below, O’Neill outlines some steps that can help prevent substance use and substance use disorder. Substance use disorder is considered to be both a complex brain disorder and a mental illness that is classified as mild, moderate, or severe based on criteria met by each individual, says O’Neill.

According to the NIH, this stage is where someone stops drinking to feel the “high” of alcohol, drinking rather to escape the “low” of the withdrawal. According to a survey by SAMHSA, over 40% of alcohol users in the United States are classified as binge drinkers and 28% of those binge drinkers are classified as heavy drinkers. In 2019, over 14 million people ages 12 or above had an alcohol use disorder. Abusing drugs can also lead to addiction and cause serious health problems and even death.

Opioids are narcotic, painkilling drugs produced from opium or made synthetically. This class of drugs includes, among others, heroin, morphine, codeine, methadone, fentanyl and oxycodone. Barbiturates, benzodiazepines and hypnotics are prescription central nervous system depressants. They’re often used and misused in search for a sense of difference between drugs and alcohol relaxation or a desire to “switch off” or forget stress-related thoughts or feelings. Substituted cathinones, also called “bath salts,” are mind-altering (psychoactive) substances similar to amphetamines such as ecstasy (MDMA) and cocaine. Packages are often labeled as other products to avoid detection.

• Getting drunk or high can feel similar to some people, while others describe the sensations as very different.
• Some genes are linked with alcoholism and alcohol use disorder, but these alone do not cause addiction.
• When society determine that using certain substances is harmful, it places legal prohibitions on their use.