X> The American Society for Action on Pain for this vital page: "The Pain Course"
http://www.widomaker.com/~skipb/2ThePatient.html
This information is from the above website:
You must learn these terms and understand them:
Addiction - "A primary, chronic neurobiologic disease, with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. It is characterized by behaviors that include one or more of the following: impaired control over drug use, compulsive use, continued use despite harm, and craving."
Physical Dependence - "A state of adaptation that is manifested by a drug class specific withdrawal syndrome that can be produced by abrupt cessation, rapid dose reduction, decreasing blood level of the drug, and/or administration of an antagonist."
Tolerance - "A state of adaptation in which exposure to a drug induces changes that result in a diminution of one or more of the drug's effects over time."