Q. Will I get addicted to, or dependent upon, hypnotics?

A. First, it is important to understand that addiction refers to a pattern of behavior associated with use of a drug. Addicted individuals significantly change the way they live, their priorities in life, in order to obtain and use one or more drugs. When addiction occurs, the drug is not taken as a treatment for an illness, but for recreational or other purposes. Hypnotics rarely, if ever, cause a person to be addicted.

Dependence refers to a tendency for a person to continue the use of a drug because they have experienced or anticipate experiencing something unpleasant if they stop taking the medication. Physical dependence refers to an experience, when a person abruptly stops taking a medication, of multiple unpleasant physical symptoms (e.g., headache, nausea, cramps), some of which are different from the original reason a medication is being taken. Discontinuation of hypnotics rarely produces symptoms of physical dependence.

Psychological dependence refers to an unpleasant psychological response to stopping a medication (e.g., worry, anxiety) which encourages continued medication use. For some people stopping hypnotics can possibly result in significant concern or worry about trying to sleep without medication, consistent with psychological dependence.

Read other Frequently Asked Questions about medications.