Drug dependence is defined as the body becoming accustomed to an opioid and suffering withdrawal.

Drug dependence is defined as the body becoming accustomed to an opioid and suffering withdrawal.

• A. The body becomes accustomed to opioid and suffers withdrawal
• B. The body becomes tolerant to opioid and requires less
• C. The body becomes more sensitive to non-opioid analgesics
• D. The body becomes addicted with no withdrawal symptoms

Answer: (A)

Drug dependence is a physiological adaptation to a drug that leads to withdrawal symptoms when the drug is stopped. This is why the statement that the body becomes accustomed to an opioid and suffers withdrawal best defines dependence. Tolerance means needing larger doses to achieve the same effect, not less, so it describes a different facet. The idea about increased sensitivity to non-opioid analgesics isn’t related to dependence, and equating dependence with addiction and stating there are no withdrawal symptoms misrepresents what withdrawal indicates.

Drug dependence is a physiological adaptation to a drug that leads to withdrawal symptoms when the drug is stopped. This is why the statement that the body becomes accustomed to an opioid and suffers withdrawal best defines dependence. Tolerance means needing larger doses to achieve the same effect, not less, so it describes a different facet. The idea about increased sensitivity to non-opioid analgesics isn’t related to dependence, and equating dependence with addiction and stating there are no withdrawal symptoms misrepresents what withdrawal indicates.