Addiction glossary with definitions

Addiction: A chronic and often relapsing brain disorder characterised by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences.

Alcoholism: A chronic and often progressive disorder characterised by the excessive and compulsive consumption of alcohol.

Substance abuse: The harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs.

Dependence: A state of addiction in which the body requires a drug to function normally.

Tolerance: A decrease in the body's response to a drug after repeated use, resulting in the need for higher doses to achieve the same effect.

Withdrawal: Physical and psychological symptoms that occur when a person abruptly stops using a drug to which they have become dependent.

Detoxification: The process of removing toxic substances from the body.

Rehabilitation: A process of medical and psychological treatment for addiction, aimed at helping a person to stop using drugs and resume a normal life.

Recovery: A process of change through which an individual achieves abstinence and improved health, wellness and quality of life.

Relapse: The return to drug use after a period of abstinence.

Harm reduction: Policies, programmes and practices that aim to reduce the negative health, social and economic consequences of drug use without necessarily reducing drug consumption.

Intervention: A structured process in which family members, friends and/or professionals confront a person about their addiction and encourage them to seek treatment.

Co-occurring disorders: The presence of both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder in the same individual.

Twelve-step programme: A set of principles and practices, originally developed by Alcoholics Anonymous, that are used to treat addiction.

Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT): A type of psychotherapy that helps individuals identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviours.

Contingency management: A treatment approach that uses rewards or incentives to encourage positive behaviours, such as abstinence from drug use.

Motivational interviewing: A counselling approach that helps individuals resolve ambivalence about changing their behaviour.

Pharmacotherapy: The use of medications to treat addiction.

Methadone: A medication used to treat opioid addiction by reducing withdrawal symptoms and cravings.

Buprenorphine: A medication used to treat opioid addiction by reducing withdrawal symptoms and cravings.

Naltrexone: A medication used to treat opioid and alcohol addiction by blocking the effects of these substances.

Pregabalin: A prescription drug that is used to treat a variety of conditions, including epilepsy, neuropathic pain, and anxiety.  It can also be highly addictive.

Nicotine replacement therapy: The use of nicotine-containing products, such as gum or patches, to help individuals quit smoking.

Medical detoxification: The use of medications to manage withdrawal symptoms during detoxification.

Residential treatment: A type of rehabilitation that involves living in a treatment facility for an extended period of time.

Outpatient treatment: A type of rehabilitation that allows individuals to receive treatment while living at home.

Halfway house: A transitional living facility for individuals in recovery from addiction.

Sober living: A type of housing for individuals in recovery from addiction that provides a supportive and drug-free environment.

Peer support: Support provided by individuals who have experienced addiction and recovery themselves.

Recovery coach: A trained professional who provides support and guidance to individuals in recovery.

Sponsor: A mentor in a twelve-step programme who provides support and guidance to a new member.

Family therapy: A type of therapy that involves the entire family in the treatment of addiction.

Group therapy: A type of therapy in which individuals with similar issues meet together to share experiences and support each other.

Individual therapy: A type of therapy in which an individual meets one-on-one with a therapist.

Aftercare: Continuing care and support provided to individuals after they have completed a treatment programme.

Dual diagnosis: The presence of both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder in the same individual.

Cross-addiction: The development of addiction to one substance after quitting another.

Enabling: Behaviours that inadvertently support or enable a person's addiction.

Co-dependency: A pattern of behaviour in which one person enables and supports another person's addiction.

Denial: Refusal to acknowledge or accept the existence of a problem, such as addiction.

Enmeshment: A pattern of behaviour in which family members become overly involved in each other's lives, often to the detriment of their own well-being.

Boundaries: Guidelines or limits that individuals establish to protect themselves and maintain healthy relationships.

Trigger: A person, place, thing or situation that causes an individual to crave drugs or alcohol.

Coping skills: Strategies used to manage stress and difficult emotions without resorting to drug use.

Self-care: Practices used to maintain physical, emotional and mental well-being.

Mindfulness: The practice of being present and fully engaged in the current moment.

Gratitude: The practice of expressing appreciation and thankfulness for the positive aspects of one's life.

Relapse prevention: Strategies used to reduce the risk of returning to drug use after a period of abstinence.

Harm minimisation: Policies and practices aimed at reducing the negative consequences of drug use without necessarily reducing drug consumption.

Needle exchange: A public health intervention that provides clean needles and syringes to injection drug users to reduce the risk of HIV and other blood-borne infections.

Naloxone: A medication used to reverse opioid overdose.