Glossary of Treatment and Addiction Related Terms

Addiction Treatment

Problems associated with an individual's drug addiction can vary significantly. People who are addicted to drugs come from all walks of life. Many suffer from mental health, occupational, health, or social problems that make their addictive disorders much more difficult to treat. Even if there are few associated problems, the severity of addiction itself ranges widely among people.

A variety of scientifically based approaches to drug addiction treatment exists. Drug addiction treatment can include behavioral therapy (such as counseling, cognitive therapy, or psychotherapy), medications, or their combination. Behavioral therapies offer people strategies for coping with their drug cravings, teach them ways to avoid drugs and prevent relapse, and help them deal with relapse if it occurs. When a person's drug-related behavior places him or her at higher risk for AIDS or other infectious diseases, behavioral therapies can help to reduce the risk of disease transmission. Case management and referral to other medical, psychological, and social services are crucial components of treatment for many patients. The best programs provide a combination of therapies and other services to meet the needs of the individual patient, which are shaped by such issues as age, race, culture, sexual orientation, gender, pregnancy, parenting, housing, and employment, as well as physical and sexual abuse.

Drug addiction treatment can include behavioral therapy, medications, or their combination.

Treatment medications, such as methadone, LAAM, and naltrexone, are available for individuals addicted to opiates. Nicotine preparations (patches, gum, nasal spray) and bupropion are available for individuals addicted to nicotine.

The best treatment programs provide a combination of therapies and other services to meet the needs of the individual patient.

Medications, such as antidepressants, mood stabilizers, or neuroleptics, may be critical for treatment success when patients have co-occurring mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, or psychosis.

Treatment can occur in a variety of settings, in many different forms, and for different lengths of time. Because drug addiction is typically a chronic disorder characterized by occasional relapses, a short-term, one-time treatment often is not sufficient. For many, treatment is a long-term process that involves multiple interventions and attempts at abstinence.

Alcoholism Treatment

Treatment for alcoholism , like drug treatment , can have a profound effect on the alcoholic as well as society as a whole. Immediate effects of ending the alcohol abuse are improved social and psychological function and often include a decrease in criminality and violence.

Understanding the nature of alcoholism is the key to the prevention of a return to the addiction to alcohol. Without adequate alcoholism treatment such as relapse prevention , alcoholics often find themselves in an endless cycle of detox, rehab, treatment center, and sustained abstinence, only to begin the cycle all over again when their lives improve.

There is no single way to guarantee a complete prevention of active alcoholism. There are a wide variety of treatment options available to alcoholics with varying success rates. Relapse prevention increases the effectiveness of any addiction treatment.

Alcoholism is treatable. A call to Challenges at 1-888-755-3334 can be made for a screening or referral to another appropriate center or agency.

Ambien

Ambien is a trade name for a drug known as Zolpidem , an prescription drug used for the short term treatment of insomnia. It usually produces results within 15 minutes, and has a short half-life. Other trade names for Zolpidem are Stilnox and Stilnoct.

Ambien activates the same receptors as benzodiazepines , but it is actually an imadazopyridine that works to enhance the effect of a major inhibitory neurotransmitter known as gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA.

Large doses of Ambien result in side effects such as hallucinations, delusions, poor motor coordination, increased appetite or sex drive, poor judgment, and loss of memory while under the drug's influence - the desire to induce these side effects is a leading reason for Ambien abuse.

Ambien is a potentially addictive drug, even when taken under a physician's care. Users become dependent on its use to sleep and abusers, its ability to induce euphoria. As with any addictive substance, recovery from Ambien addiction may require addiction treatment and relapse prevention .

Ativan

A tranquilizer (trade name Ativan) used to treat anxiety and tension and insomnia.

Bipolar Disorder

Also known as bipolar affective disorder , manic depression , BPAD , or BP is a mood disorder resulting in unusually extreme highs and lows of an individual's mood, i.e. affect, over time. The high part of the mood is called "mania" (often times a euphoria) and the low part of the mood is depression. Bipolar disorder is now generally considered to be a biochemical disorder of the brain and its associated hormonal systems. Without proper treatment bipolar disorder can destroy families, friendships, careers, and even lives. Bipolar disorder, left untreated, can be so profoundly distressing for those that suffer from it that 15% of people diagnosed with bipolar will eventually commit suicide. It is found in disproportionate numbers in people with creative talent such as scientists and poets, and it has been speculated that the mechanisms which cause the disorder may be related to those responsible for creativity in these individuals. Some individuals with bipolar disorder may even desire to remain in their manic or hypomanic states. That is where they feel their best and feel that they can be their most creative and productive.

Club Drugs

Drug such as MDMA (Ecstasy), GHB, Rohypnol, ketamine, methamphetamine , and LSD that are used by young adults at all-night dance parties such as "raves" or "trances," dance clubs, and bars.

Use of club drugs can cause serious health problems and, in some cases, death. No club drug is benign. Chronic abuse of MDMA, for example, appears to produce long-term damage to serotonin-containing neurons in the brain. Because some club drugs are colorless, tasteless, and odorless, they can be added unobtrusively to beverages by individuals who want to intoxicate or sedate others. In recent years, there has been an increase in reports of club drugs used to commit sexual assaults.

Codeine

a drug made from opium which is used to reduce pain.

Cocaine

Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system and an appetite suppressant, creating what has been described as a euphoric sense of happiness and increased energy. Though most often used recreationally for this effect, cocaine is also a topical anesthetic that is used in eye and throat surgery. Cocaine is a highly addictive substance, and its possession, cultivation, and distribution are illegal (for non-medicinal / non-government sanctioned purposes) in virtually all of the world, which can be at least partially attributed to United Nations Comissions and United States drug policy. [1]

Compulsive Gambling

Urge or addiction to gamble in spite of a desire to stop or harmful or negative consequences. Often described as problem gambling , as few sufferers experience true compulsion in the clinical sense. Extreme or severe gambling is often diagnosed as pathological gambling when the gambler displays persistent and recurrent maladaptive gambling behavior exhibiting at least five of the following behaviors:

1. Preoccupation . Frequent thoughts about gambling experiences, whether past or imaginary.

2. Tolerance. The requirement of greater and more frequent bets to experience the same "high".

3. Withdrawal. Irritability or restlessness stemming from attempts to cease or curb the activity.

4. Escape. Use of gambling to escape problems or improve mood.

5. Chasing . Attempting to win back gambling losses with more gambling.

6. Lying . Denail of extent of gambling to family, friends, therapists.

7. Loss of control . Unsuccessful attempts to stop.

8. Illegal acts . Breaking the law to recoup losses or obtain more money to gamble.

9. Significant Personal Risk. Gambling in spite of potential relationship loss, lover, spouse, employment, opportunity

10. Bailout. Seeks financial assistance from family, friends, or other third party to recoup gambling loss or obtain money to gamble.

As with a chemical addiction, compulsive gambling is treatable. A call to Challenges at 1-888-755-3334 can be made for a screening or referral to another appropriate center or agency.

Another great source of information regarding gambling addiction may be found at Gamblers Anonymous .

Crack Cocaine

Chemically purified, very potent cocaine in pellet form that is smoked through a glass pipe and is considered highly and rapidly addictive.

Demerol

Demerol is a trade name for a drug known as Pethadine, an opioid analgesic drug that is fast acting and is used to alleviate moderate to severe pain. Pethadine is also the primary drug of name brand drugs Algil, Alodan, Centralgin, Dispadol, Dolantin, Dolestine, Dolosal, Dolsin, and Mefedina. It may be prescribed in hydrochloride form as tablets, as a syrup or via intramuscular injection.

As an opiate, Demerol is widely abused for its euphoric properties, and is taken orally, intravenously, intranasally and smoked. This euphoria can easily lead to dependence on the medication. Users rapidly develop tolerance to the effect, and require increasing escalations in doses seeking to achieve euphoria.

Dual Diagnosis

Refers to those who have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder and alcohol or substance addiction at the same time. Drug/alcohol problems and mental illness often go hand-in-hand, with the substance abuse sometimes disguising depression or other psychiatric issues.

Ecstasy

More commonly known today by the street name Ecstasy, MDMA (Systematic name :3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine ) is a synthetic drug of the phenethylamine family whose primary effect is to stimulate the brain to rapidly secrete large amounts of serotonin, causing a general sense of openness, energy, euphoria, and well-being. Tactile sensations are enhanced, making general physical contact with others more pleasurable, but contrary to popular mythology it generally does not have aphrodisiac effects. Its ability to facilitate self-examination with reduced fear has proven useful in some therapeutic settings, leading to its 2001 approval by the United States FDA for use in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Acute dehydration is a risk among users who are highly physically active and forget to drink water , as the drug may mask one's normal sense of exhaustion and thirstiness. Another danger comes from other more dangerous chemicals (such as PMA or methamphetamine ) which are often added to ecstasy tablets to increase manufacturer profits. Long-term effects in humans are largely unknown and the subject of much controversy.

GHB

Known in Europe as Gamma-OH, this is gamma hydroxybutyrate, a colorless and odorless drug used illicitly for "recreational" purposes and for "date rape." GBH is a central nervous system depressant. It tends therefore to increase sociability and function as something of a transient antidepressant. Some persons who have sustained adverse effects of GHB have reported being given the drug surreptitiously (e.g., having it slipped into their drink), while others have admitted to intentional use.

Hallucinogens

substances that produce altered sense-perceptions or states of consciousness . More specifically, they are characterized by classes of pharmacological agents which in different ways can change the subjective qualities of perception ,thought and emotion . All these classes interact with specific brain sites, often as neurotransmitter analogs or blockers, similar to many prescription drugs. The effects of hallucinogens are clearly different from stimulants like cocaine or amphetamine although they do often increase alertness or activity. The broad term "hallucinogen" is often used as a synonym for the class of psychedelics (LSD, magic mushrooms, mescaline), especially in the current scientific literature.

Heroin

Although purer heroin is becoming more common, most street heroin is "cut" with other drugs or with substances such as sugar, starch, powdered milk, orquinine. Street heroin can also be cut with strychnine or other poisons. Because heroin abusers do not know the actual strength of the drug or its true contents, they are at risk of overdose or death. Heroin also poses special problems because of the transmission of HIV and other diseases that can occur from sharing needles or other injection equipment.

Heroin is processed from morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the seed pod of the Asian poppy plant. Heroin usually appears as a white or brown powder. Street names associated with heroin include "smack," "H," "skag," and "junk." Other names may refer to types of heroin produced in a specific geographical area, such as "Mexican black tar."[1]

See also Heroin Treatment

Intervention

An orchestrated attempt by family, friends and/or treatment professionals to enable a loved one or patient to "get help" for addiction or other similar problem.

LSD

A crystalline compound, C20 H25 N3O, derived from lysergic acid and used as a powerful hallucinogenic drug. Also called acid.

Marijuana

1. The cannabis plant. 2. A preparation made from the dried flower clusters and leaves of the cannabis plant, usually smoked or eaten to induce euphoria.

Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine is a potent central nervous system stimulant that affects the brain by acting on the mechanisms responsible for regulating a class of neurotransmitters known as the biogenic amines or monoamine neurotransmitters. This broad class of neurotransmitters is generally responsible for regulating heart rate, body temperature, blood pressure, appetite, attention and responses associated with alertness or alarm conditions. As in most neurotransmitter chemistry, its effects are adapted by the affected neurons by a decrease in the production of the neurotransmitters being blocked from re-uptake, leading to the tolerance and withdrawal effects.

Morphine

Morphine, a narcotic, acts directly on the central nervous system. Besides relieving pain, it impairs mental and physical performance, relieves fear and anxiety, and produces euphoria.

Opiate

A medication or illegal drug that is either derived from the opium poppy, or that mimics the effect of an opiate (a synthetic opiate). Opiate drugs are narcotic sedatives that depress activity of the central nervous system, reduce pain, and induce sleep. Side effects may include over sedation, nausea, and constipation. Long term use of opiates can produce addiction, and overuse can cause overdose and potentially death.

Oxycontin

OxyContin contains oxycodone, a very strong narcotic pain reliever similar to morphine. OxyContin is designed so that the oxycodone is slowly released over time, allowing it to be used twice daily. You should never break, chew, or crush the OxyContin tablet since this causes a large amount of oxycodone to be released from the tablet all at once, potentially resulting in a dangerous or fatal drug overdose.

Percocet

Percocet's active ingredients are oxycodone, a narcotic (opiate) pain medication (analgesic), and acetaminophen (a non-narcotic pain medication), which relieves pain better than either medication taken alone. Oxycodone acts on the central nervous system and smooth muscle tissue, slowing the central nervous system. It is not clear exactly how acetaminophen works to ease pain.

Percodan

Percodan is a narcotic drug. When a narcotic is injected, the user feels a surge of pleasure, then a state of gratification into which hunger, pain, and sexual urges do not intrude.

Prescription Drugs

Medications prescribed by a physician for treatment of a malady or disorder.

Relapse Prevention

Strategy to train alcohol and other drug abusers to cope more effectively and to overcome the stressors or triggers in their environments that may cause relapse into drug use and dependency.

Steroids

A broad class of substances. In terms of steroid abuse , it refers to Anabolic Steroids, a class of natural and synthetic steroid hormones that promote cell growth and division, resulting in growth of muscle tissue and sometimes bone size and strength. Testosterone is the best-known natural anabolic steroid, as well as the most often used natural androgen. See Steroids and Steroids Treatment .

Valium

Valium is a medication for the treatment of anxiety and alcohol withdrawal. First entering the U.S. market in 1963, Valium became controversial as a widely prescribed tranquilizer and widespread abuse.

Xanax

This is a prescription drug used to treat anxiety. It is a central nervous system depressant, and can therefore have a negative impact on coordination and mental alertness. Side effects typically include drowsiness and/or mood changes.

1. Some of these entries are licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License . Material has been used from the Wikipedia article(s) "Cocaine" , "Heroin" , and "Methamphetamine"