Substance use and by proxy substance abuse, are two different sides to the same coin. Substance is short for chemical substance and has a very broad meaning and applies to many things. In the context of psychology, a substance is specifically defined as a drug or any substance that you put into your own body that causes an effect. Substance abuse almost always refers to recreational substances and the risk of becoming addicted to these substances is genetic in basis. While the exact process of addiction isn’t yet understood the effects it has on a persons life have existed for centuries.