Comparison Between Addictive & Non-Addictive Substance Abuse Groups

Addictive and nonaddictive support groups vary in some ways but function similarly; both offer support, counseling and addiction resources. Dependencies vary by substance, as some substances are more addictive than others. Substances that are not physically addictive can still be difficult to curb because of ingrained habits.

Addictive

• Addictive support groups generally focus on breaking the substance's physical hold on the person before tackling the causes behind the addiction. The support group tries to keep the people clean so they can begin doing therapy. Use of physically addictive substances can be hard to curb because the body builds up a dependency on the chemicals.

Nonaddictive

• With nonaddictive substances, the source of addiction is solely in the mental and emotional realm. The substance does not have a hold on the person physically. Treatment can begin with an examination of the root causes of the addiction. Still, the mental/habitual addiction to the substance can be just as strong as physical addiction and as tough to break.

Weening

• Part of addiction recovery is getting weened off the substance. For people who abuse addictive substances, quitting cold turkey can actually be very harmful and shock the body. Instead, the body needs to be weened off the substance. This is different from the situation nonaddictive support groups face, as people in these groups can quit cold turkey without risk of adverse health effects.

Health Issues

• Those with strong dependencies on addictive substances often suffer from other health issues, with the substance they are abusing actually serving some purpose. This is commonly the case with those who abuse prescription painkillers, which can be highly addictive. Those who abuse nonaddictive substance may not have the same issue.