Why is dependence on some drugs okay but not others?

Question by Captain Flatulence: Why is dependence on some drugs okay but not others?
Do not confuse “abuse” with “dependence.” Most folks think it’s no big deal if they take anti-depressants, cholesterol lowering drugs or high-blood pressure medications every day (dependence). But as soon as someone says they take Xanax or Valium or Vicodin everyday, there’s a whole different attitude about it.

Best answer:

Answer by Pgh10
All drugs are not alike. Some drugs, such as aspirin, are milder than others. Many drugs are mind-altering, and therefore more dangerous. It is always best to have a doctor monitoring your useage, including over-the-counter drugs.

Answer by mark f
Firstly, dependence/addiction are very broad sweeping terms.
According to the world health organisation physical dependence basically is physical adaptions that have occured in the central nervous system due to regular use of a drug/medication/substance and difficulty stopping or reducing dose due to withdrawal symptoms.
Psychological dependence can mean reliance on a psyhotropic drug drug to cope with everyday life or it can include using the drug to become intoxicated and or high. It also includes craving the drug.
Dependence is the medical terminology for what the general public is more familar with as addiction. Both dependence and addiction are wide sweeping terms.
Cholesterol drugs DO NOT fit the criteria for dependence/addiction. People do not get withdrawal symptoms from them. They don’t use them as mind altering drugs to cope with everyday life and don’t use them to become intoxicated.
Antidepressant drugs can cause tolerance/withdrawal symptoms and people can rely on them to cope with everyday life but they lack abuse potential. Xanax and vicodin can cause withdrawal symptoms, can cause abuse, can cause people to rely on them for everyday life.
Abuse is one of the criteria for dependence but not an essential criteria.
The drug companies, particularly in america have tried to seperate dependence from addiction in the media and medical journals but this is so that they can call their products non habit forming and non addictive (even though many people can’t stop antidepressants due to withdrawal symptoms). It is about money dude.
If you think about it now with this propoganda the pharmaceutical industry is putting out, if dependence is different to addiction, then cigarettes are completely non addictive and non habit forming. Think about it tobacco use is not associated with dosage escalation, abuse to get high or intoxicated etc. Ya catch my drift dude. It about the money. Thank God the World Health Organisation talks sense.
Xanax is a brain frying drug anyway. It is a benzodiazepine and extremely addictive. Research benzodiazepines and see what those drugs have doen to peoples lives, many of whom were just following doctors instructions. Benzos are controversial drugs for a reason.

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