There are many different types of substances that an individual can become addicted to. Substance abuse happens with both legal and illegal substances including alcohol, prescription medication, over-the-counter medication, heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and tobacco products. Each substance will affect the user in a different way, but provide a feeling of euphoria, pain relief, or light feeling that creates the “high” that the user craves when they are not consuming their substance of choice. It is important to understand the signs and symptoms of a substance abuse problem to know when you should seek medical treatment. When people first start consuming a substance that can lead to an addiction, they often think they are using it in moderation and don’t believe they will become addicted to it. Over time though, they can feel that the amount they used to use isn’t enough to relieve the pain or achieve the desired effect that they have come to expect. That can lead to abuse of the substance, causing the user to take more than the recommended amount, take it more frequently or search out alternative methods of reaching the feeling they are looking for.