Continuum of Psychoactive Prescription Drug Use

Proper Use Misuse By Patient Dose level more or less than recommended Use for contraindicated purposes Use in conjunction with other medications with undesirable interactions Skipping doses/hoarding drugs Use with alcohol By Doctor Prescribing unnecessarily high dose Prescribing without determining what other medication patient is taking Not clearly explaining regimen Abuse By Patient Use resulting in Decline in work, school, or home performance Legal problems Use in risky situations (e.g., driving drunk) Continued use despite adverse social or interpersonal consequences Source: American Psychiatric Association, 1994. Dependence By Patient Use resulting in Tolerance Withdrawal symptoms Decline in normal activities Unsuccessful attempts or a desire to cut down or control use Use of a substance in large amounts or for a longer period than was intended Use that consumes a lot of time (including time to acquire and use the drug and to recover from its effects) Continued use despite knowledge that it has caused or aggravated a physical or psychological problem Source: American Psychiatric Association, 1994.