substance abuse

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR substance abuse ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

long-term, pathological use of alcohol or drugs, characterized by daily intoxication, inability to reduce consumption, and impairment in social or occupational functioning; broadly, alcohol or drug addiction.

Nearby words

subspinale, subspontaneous, subst., substage, substance, substance abuse, substance abuse disorder, substance p, substandard, substantia, substantia alba

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for substance abuse

If helping people with substance-abuse problems is your main concern, you know where to start.
One War We Should Be Happy to Lose Once and For All: the Drug War|Nick Gillespie|June 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Substance-abuse disorders, however, have not increased among children, teenagers, and adolescents.
CDC Report Paints Bleak Picture of American Kids With Mental Disorders|Eliza Shapiro|May 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Army regulations required him to have substance-abuse counseling, but commanders never sent him.
PTSD: How the U.S. Army Failed Veteran Courtney Lockhart|David Philipps|November 10, 2010|DAILY BEAST
At the same time, four of six staff positions for the substance-abuse office at Fort Carson sat empty.
PTSD: How the U.S. Army Failed Veteran Courtney Lockhart|David Philipps|November 10, 2010|DAILY BEAST

A dual diagnosis is a person who is mentally ill and has a substance-abuse problem.
The Rehab Show That Works|Natasha Vargas-Cooper|July 21, 2010|DAILY BEAST