Substance use disorder is defined as?

Substance use disorder is defined as?

• A. When a person cannot stop using a drug despite negative consequences; addiction is a disease.
• B. Simply choosing to use more.
• C. It is defined by duration of use regardless of consequences.
• D. It always involves legal trouble.

Answer: (A)

Substance use disorder is a pattern of drug use marked by loss of control and continued use despite negative consequences, reflecting a brain-based, chronic condition. The statement that a person cannot stop using a drug despite negative consequences and that addiction is a disease captures both the core feature of compulsive use and the medical view of addiction as a disease. The other options miss essential elements: simply choosing to use more ignores the loss of control; defining by duration without regard to harm or impairment is inaccurate; and involving legal trouble is not a defining requirement.

Substance use disorder is a pattern of drug use marked by loss of control and continued use despite negative consequences, reflecting a brain-based, chronic condition. The statement that a person cannot stop using a drug despite negative consequences and that addiction is a disease captures both the core feature of compulsive use and the medical view of addiction as a disease. The other options miss essential elements: simply choosing to use more ignores the loss of control; defining by duration without regard to harm or impairment is inaccurate; and involving legal trouble is not a defining requirement.