Mental Health Addiction Practice Test 2025 – Complete Exam Prep

The term that best describes the relationship between drug use and the development of tolerance is dependence. Tolerance occurs when a person needs to consume larger amounts of a substance to achieve the same effects that they initially experienced with smaller doses. This physiological adaptation is a hallmark of substance dependence, which develops as the body becomes accustomed to the presence of the drug and adjusts its functioning accordingly.

In the context of addiction, dependence indicates that the user’s body has adapted to the drug’s effects, leading to a decrease in responsiveness. Consequently, as tolerance builds, users might feel compelled to increase their dosage to attain the desired effects, which can further perpetuate the cycle of addiction. Understanding this relationship is crucial in recognizing the complexities of addiction and the changes it brings about in both the brain and behavior.

The other terms relate to different aspects of substance use. Intoxication refers to the state of being under the influence of a drug, withdrawal involves the physical and psychological symptoms that occur when a substance is not available after prolonged use, and abuse indicates harmful patterns of substance use. While these concepts are interconnected, dependence is the term that most directly addresses the phenomenon of tolerance.