January 10th, 2012 
Admin Alcohol Use and Abuse Addiction and Habituation
Difficulty and Answer.
Summary: Although there is no definition of “addiction” that is universally accepted, in general, addiction refers to a physiological and psychological dependency on a drug. Whilst some drugs of abuse induce physiological addiction, others do not. Alternatively, some drugs that are physiologically addictive usually are not abused (e.g., caffeine). Tolerance to drug effects, and withdrawal symptoms upon abrupt cessation of use, which develop over time, are characteristic features of physiological addiction. “Habituation” is the term used to refer to psychological dependence on a drug. Some drugs of abuse are extremely rewarding since of their influence on reinforcing neurobiological processes, but they do not necessarily result in “tissue” related withdrawal symptoms. Cessation of such drugs may lead primarily to subjective craving due to previous drug conditioning (perhaps true of some marijuana users) and craving may well be a lot more readily evoked or deeply conditioned among some persons than other people (“addictive personalities”). Primary methods of assessment of addiction and habituation are completed by means of clinical interviews or self-report surveys (e.g., American Psychiatric Association DSM-IV, World Health Organization ICD-10). Treatment paradigms for the cessation of addiction begin with initial detoxification or withdrawal, followed by inpatient or outpatient program participation (e.g., 12-step programs, milieu, cognitive-behavioral, or behavioral). Pharmacological efforts (e.g., methadone maintenance) may be utilized as harm-reduction methods among those who seem unable to quit drug use.