Difference between misuse and abuse of drugs

Hey friends, hope you all passed last week very excitingly like me. Last week I noticed something that maximum patients and even some persons from my profession are confused about some very simple differences of usage of drugs. And that time it caught me, to think that if this kind of simple topics are very complicated to the persons with whom i deal with and some of us, then how could we give a good service to those persons who believe in us. I know it’s sounds not good that some of us making mistakes but we should take it positively, because if no one make mistakes then how could we learn new things and how could we know that there is some other ways to think or to improve ourselves. Don’t be hopeless because in that time i are here to make things easy, right and to solve this type of problems. So i am going to discuss with you about this types of very simple topic which sometimes become very confusing or complicated to us.

In my profession, i always have to advice and deal with a lot of patients and also dispense drugs in a proper understanding way. In that time i have to assure that patients must know what should to do and do not. Because mostly, we found out the misuse and abuse of drugs. So today’s topic is the exact definition, meaning and differences of misuse and abuse of drugs.

Misuse of drug is the improper use of either non-prescribed or prescribed medications. This is applicable in situations wherein the medication is taken for therapeutic purpose only and not for ecstasy, pleasure and euphoria. For example, taking antibiotics for a cold. Since colds are caused by viruses, and antibiotics only work for bacterial infections, that would be a misuse of antibiotics.

Nevertheless, some sources claim that drug misuse is more commonly applied to situations where prescription medicines are involved. Because these are licensed drugs that require prescriptions for them (patients) to be purchased at the drug stores (opposite of over-the-counter medications). Most popular misused drugs are the psychoactive medications that lead to some emotional and mental adverse effects to the user.

If a patient will decide not to take his regular dose of antibiotics until his dose of pain killer shows some effect this can be categorized as drug misuse. The simple thought of taking in more than the prescribed amount of medicines can also be called drug misuse even it’s for a one time.

On the other hand, drug abuse is a term that implies the repetitive and willful use of drugs in a way other than its socially sanctioned purpose. Or, Drug abuse, is when you use a drug excessively, to the damage of your physical or mental health. One of the most commonly abused substances is alcohol.

Thus the difference between misuse and abuse of drug is clearly on the difference of intention. The only problem is that one cannot readily tell that a person is misusing or abusing drugs by simply looking at him or her. However, one can say that drug misuse or abuse have already been reached if the user display some psychological, social and physical impairments.

Summary

1.    Drug misuse is the improper use of medication for purely therapeutic gains but does not include the improper use of drugs taken for pleasure and the like.

2.    Drug abuse is a more repetitive and willful habit of taking drugs for the purpose of the pleasure, ecstasy and euphoria but does not include the repeated use of drugs for therapeutic purpose.

So, dear friends, I hope that you enjoyed knowing about the above information of Misuse and Abuse of drugs and also hope that from now all of you shall concern properly when you deal with using drugs. Soon I shall discuss with you about the differences between addiction, dependence and tolerance. Because these words are often used interchangeably. Till then stay healthy, be passionate and keep blogging.