Are drug and alcohol addictions really all that different? Learn about the psychological, physical, legal, and treatment differences—and how Beachside Rehab can help.
A person experiencing a problem with alcohol might reach for a golden bottle of tequila, splash some in a heavy glass, and wake up hours later wondering where the night went.
Someone struggling with drugs might chase relief in a joint or a handful of pills, caught in the same cycle of self-medication that’s derailed so many lives.
What is the difference? Is being addicted to alcohol different from being addicted to another drug? Or perhaps we should begin with another question: Is alcohol a drug?
What Makes an Alcohol Addiction Unique?
The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) answers this question succinctly by placing alcohol, alphabetically, at the top of its published list of “Drugs of Abuse.” And the National Council of Alcohol and Drug Dependency (NCADD) concurs.
Still, culturally and legally, we often separate alcohol from other drugs. We talk about “alcohol and drugs,” placing “alcohol” in its own special category, mainly because alcohol is legal, while most other drugs are not, and it’s deeply embedded into everyday life. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), 28.9 million Americans 12 and over experienced an Alcohol Use Disorder in the past year, and 60.4 million adults admitted to binge drinking in the past few months.
Are there differences between being addicted to alcohol and being addicted to a drug of another kind? Sure—though, at the end of the long day, all addictions have more in common than what distinguishes them from each other.
Whether it’s a few glasses of wine with dinner, or a handful of pills taken to get through the day, the struggle is real, and recovery is possible.
How Do Addictions to Drugs and Alcohol Differ?
When we think of the word “drugs,” a lot of substances could come to mind: marijuana, painkillers, cocaine, heroin, benzodiazepines, stimulants, inhalants, and sleeping pills. But not all drugs are equal, and the effects can vary widely. Heroin users have described being high as being “covered in a warm blanket, where worries are gone,” while cocaine users describe euphoria, inflated confidence in themselves, and a desire to be with others.
Regardless of the characteristics that differentiate drugs from each other, for our immediate purposes, legally, and socially, alcohol and other drugs form two distinct groups.
How Legality Impacts Addiction
Americans of the designated age in their state have been able to legally buy alcohol since 1933, when prohibition was lifted, and, culturally, being addicted to a legal substance is more acceptable than being addicted to an illegal one. We joke about having too many margaritas; we do not joke about deciding to roll up our sleeves and inject heroin.
Despite its legality, alcohol is often at the center of addiction for most Americans, with 48.5 million of us ages 12 and over admitting to an alcohol dependency in the past year, while about 27.2 million Americans 12 or older report struggling with a drug use disorder in the past year.
Legally available or not, alcohol is usually the most damaging substance overall. And it can feel different to be addicted to a legal substance than to be addicted to an illicit one.
Stigmas Associated with Drug and Alcohol Addiction
The social stigma attached to addiction tends to be stronger when the substance one is addicted to is illegal: It has been documented, for example, that most people who work in the healthcare industry have negative views of people who use illegal drugs, which obviously affects the treatment they offer.
The stigma around illicit drug use can also affect one’s sense of worth, especially when we consider that a predisposition to low self-esteem is a contributing factor to alcohol and drug abuse; taking illegal drugs and being labeled as “less” by society can easily exacerbate an existing problem.
Here at Beachside Rehab, we pride ourselves on our commitment to privacy during your stay. Our confidential, private setting provides relief from judgment and fear as you begin the healing journey and walk the path towards sobriety. We strive to treat each of our clients with the peaceful, private, and personalized experience that they deserve, capping our facilities at a 30-inpatient maximum. We want to see and get to know the entire person behind the addiction to help make recovery possible.
How Does Physical Addiction Differ Between Drugs and Alcohol?
When discussing illegal drugs as a common group and comparing this group to alcohol, we can point to some differences in how the addiction changes our physical body:
The more serious effects of alcohol abuse, in terms of its physical effects on our bodies, are depression, high blood pressure, ulcers, alcoholic hepatitis, damage to the heart, liver, pancreas, and immune system, comas, strokes, and certain cancers.
The more serious effects of drug abuse, again, in terms of its physical effects on our bodies, are overdoses, violent or accidental death, organ failures due to accumulated toxicity, and infections from injections, like HIV or hepatitis, while addicted.
Though the physical wakes left by alcohol and drugs differ, their impact on people’s lives is similarly devastating. The Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs rates drugs, including alcohol, according to the level of harm they do to us as whole human beings, and alcohol rates as the most dangerous substance, at a 72 on their developed scale, while ecstasy, for example, rates a 9. But it is their similarities, and not their differences, that the addicted person feels most closely, whether it is pain pills or vodka that soothes their inner turmoil.
The Impacts of Drug and Alcohol Addiction
Addictive substances can change our lives in fundamental ways: They can cause us to be cruel to people we love, lose jobs that we really want, spend money that we don’t have, damage our physical bodies, and more. Addiction is less about which substance you crave than why you crave it.
- How drug and alcohol addictions differ: Alcoholism is a specific term referring to addiction to alcohol, while drug addiction indicates a generalized condition wherein one can be addicted to any substance. Drugs are addictive substances that change the way the body handles communication and processes information.
- How drug and alcohol addictions are similar: Alcoholism and drug addiction have similar symptoms and can be treated using the same techniques. Alcohol addiction is simply a form of the larger category of drug addiction, so they are each intertwined together. Therapies for alcohol use disorder and substance use disorder usually share core elements and treatments, such as behavioral counseling, support groups, and relapse prevention planning.
While not all addiction causes the same feelings or withdrawal symptoms, all substance abuse stems from similar sources, such as the desire to numb physical or emotional pain.
At Beachside Rehab, we know what it is to feel absolutely alone while feeling powerless, held in the grip of an addictive substance. Our holistic addiction treatment approach focuses on the individual and their addiction, how it came to be, and how it can be overcome. You can schedule with us with no worries as we accept rehab treatment insurance.
We also provide dual diagnosis treatment for mental health issues caused by addiction or vice versa. Often, addiction and mental illness are deeply intertwined—one can lead to or worsen the other. For example, someone may turn to substances to cope with anxiety, depression, or trauma, while prolonged substance use can also trigger or intensify mental health disorders. Dual diagnosis care addresses both conditions together, recognizing that lasting recovery requires treating the whole person, not just the addiction.
Whether its anxiety that’s numbed by alcohol after work, or pills masking deep despair, the overlap in addictions runs deep. Integrated treatment that addresses both conditions can be lifesaving. We understand the complexities surrounding co-occurring disorders and Beachside Rehab is here to guide you on the journey to success and recovery.
It all starts with being honest with yourself; it is courageous to admit that you have an addiction. If you or a loved lease call 866-349-1770 to speak with one of our trained admissions counselors. At Beachside Rebab, we can help you overcome addiction together.