Substance Abuse Glossary

Adventure Therapy: A form of psychotherapy based on the benefits of experiential education.

Adderall: a prescription stimulant medication most commonly prescribed to treat ADHD.

Addiction: a condition in which an individual cannot stop acting on an impulse to participate in a particular action or behavior.

Alcoholism: a condition in which a person continues to abuse alcohol despite facing negative consequences from the substance’s use.

Ambien: a prescription medication commonly prescribed to treat insomnia and other sleep disorders.

Amphetamines: a group of medications classified as stimulants.

Amytal: A brand-name barbiturate drug used as a sedative, an anti-anxiety medication, or a pre-anesthetic.

Ativan: A brand-name benzodiazepine drug used to treat anxiety and seizures.

B

Barbiturate: A central nervous system depressant drug prescribed to treat anxiety, insomnia, and seizures.

Benzodiazepines: A type of prescription medication often used to treat anxiety and insomnia.

C

Club Drugs: A term used to describe illicit drugs commonly used in the club scene (ie: cocaine, MDMA, acid).

Cocaine: a highly addictive, illicit, stimulant drug most commonly distributed in the form of a fine powder.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A psycho-social approach to treating behavioral issues by focusing on identifying and addressing cognitive distortions and behaviors and developing effective coping strategies.

Codependency: A relationship where 2 people become emotionally or psychologically dependent on each other.

Crack cocaine: a crystalline form of cocaine that commonly smoked to obtain a “high”.

D

Depressants: Chemical substances that reduce stimulation and slow physiological functions, producing a relaxing or calming effect.

Detox: The process of cleansing the body of toxins.

Dialectic Behavioral Therapy: A form of cognitive-behavioral therapy aimed at developing coping skills for stress, emotional regulation, and improving relationships.

Dilaudid: A brand-name opioid drug prescribed to treat moderate to severe pain. 

Dual Diagnosis: The diagnosis of a co-occurring substance use disorder and mental health condition. 

E

EMDR: Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, psychotherapy where participants recall troubling images from their past experiences and heal from the effects of said experiences.

F

Fentanyl: An opioid drug that is 50x more potent than morphine and is manufactured licitly and illicitly.

G

Gabapentin: A nerve blocker often prescribed to treat seizures and shingles.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A mental health condition characterized by excessive worry, restlessness, and trouble concentrating.

H

Hallucinogens: Psychoactive drugs that illicit hallucinations. 

Heroin: An illicit opioid drug with a high potential for abuse, addiction, and overdose.

Holistic Treatment: An approach to treatment that considers the whole person: body, mind, and soul.

Huffing: A method of abusing chemical substances by inhaling their fumes to get high.

I

Inhalants: Chemical substances that produce fumes or vapor that illicit a high.

IOP: Intensive Outpatient Programs, A high level of outpatient addiction treatment with approximately 10-15 hours of programming per week.

J

K

Ketamine: A synthetic drug used in medical settings as an anesthetic and analgesic, but also abused illicitly for its hallucinogenic properties.

Klonopin: A brand-name sedative medication used to treat seizures and anxiety.

L

M

Marijuana: A species of plant with mind-altering effects when consumed.

MAT: The use of prescription medications to assist in treating substance use disorders.

Medical Detox: An addiction treatment option where medications and medical observation is used during the detox period.

Methadone: A synthetic drug that acts on opioid receptors to prevent the onset of opioid withdrawal symptoms.

Methamphetamines: a stimulant drug that affects the central nervous system.

N

Narcan: A medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

O

Opioids: A term used to describe a group of drugs that produce pain-relieving, euphoric effects.

Outpatient Treatment: Addiction treatment programs that do not include housing or 24/7 care. Rather, clients will travel to the treatment facility (transportation may be provided) for a particular number of programming hours each week and they will reside elsewhere.

Oxycontin: A prescription opioid medication used to treat severe pain.

P

Percocet: A prescription opioid medication used to treat severe pain.

Prescription Drugs: Substances that are manufactured by pharmaceutical companies and legally obtained via prescriptions from a medical doctor or licensed medical care provider.

Q

R

Recreational Therapy: Recreational therapy or therapeutic recreation (TR) is a systematic process that utilizes recreation (leisure) and other activities as interventions to address the assessed needs of individuals with illnesses and disabling conditions.

Relapse Prevention: A term used to identify various approaches used to minimize the risk of a recovering addict from using drugs again.

S

Spice: a synthetic cannabinoid drug.

Stimulants: a group of substances that increase activity within the nervous system.

Suboxone: A brand-name drug used to medically assist the treatment of opioid addiction.

T

Tramadol: a synthetic opioid drug use to treat moderate to severe pain.

U

V

W

Withdrawal: The development of various symptoms during detox from chemical dependence.

X

Y

Z

Adderall: a prescription stimulant medication most commonly prescribed to treat ADHD.

Addiction: a condition in which an individual cannot stop acting on an impulse to participate in a particular action or behavior.

Alcoholism: a condition in which a person continues to abuse alcohol despite facing negative consequences from the substance’s use.

Ambien: a prescription medication commonly prescribed to treat insomnia and other sleep disorders.

Amphetamines: a group of medications classified as stimulants.

Amytal: A brand-name barbiturate drug used as a sedative, an anti-anxiety medication, or a pre-anesthetic.

Ativan: A brand-name benzodiazepine drug used to treat anxiety and seizures.

Benzodiazepines: A type of prescription medication often used to treat anxiety and insomnia.

Cocaine: a highly addictive, illicit, stimulant drug most commonly distributed in the form of a fine powder.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A psycho-social approach to treating behavioral issues by focusing on identifying and addressing cognitive distortions and behaviors and developing effective coping strategies.

Codependency: A relationship where 2 people become emotionally or psychologically dependent on each other.

Crack cocaine: a crystalline form of cocaine that commonly smoked to obtain a “high”.

Detox: The process of cleansing the body of toxins.

Dialectic Behavioral Therapy: A form of cognitive-behavioral therapy aimed at developing coping skills for stress, emotional regulation, and improving relationships.

Dilaudid: A brand-name opioid drug prescribed to treat moderate to severe pain. 

Dual Diagnosis: The diagnosis of a co-occurring substance use disorder and mental health condition.

EMDR: Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, psychotherapy where participants recall troubling images from their past experiences and heal from the effects of said experiences.

Fentanyl: An opioid drug that is 50x more potent than morphine and is manufactured licitly and illicitly.

Gabapentin: A nerve blocker often prescribed to treat seizures and shingles.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A mental health condition characterized by excessive worry, restlessness, and trouble concentrating.

Hallucinogens: Psychoactive drugs that illicit hallucinations. 

Heroin: An illicit opioid drug with a high potential for abuse, addiction, and overdose.

Holistic Treatment: An approach to treatment that considers the whole person: body, mind, and soul.

Huffing: A method of abusing chemical substances by inhaling their fumes to get high.

Inhalants: Chemical substances that produce fumes or vapor that illicit a high.

IOP: Intensive Outpatient Programs, A high level of outpatient addiction treatment with approximately 10-15 hours of programming per week.

Ketamine: A synthetic drug used in medical settings as an anesthetic and analgesic, but also abused illicitly for its hallucinogenic properties.

Klonopin: A brand-name sedative medication used to treat seizures and anxiety.

Marijuana: A species of plant with mind-altering effects when consumed.

MAT: The use of prescription medications to assist in treating substance use disorders.

Medical Detox: An addiction treatment option where medications and medical observation is used during the detox period.

Methadone: A synthetic drug that acts on opioid receptors to prevent the onset of opioid withdrawal symptoms.

Methamphetamines: a stimulant drug that affects the central nervous system.

Narcan: A medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

Opioids: A term used to describe a group of drugs that produce pain-relieving, euphoric effects.

Outpatient Treatment: Addiction treatment programs that do not include housing or 24/7 care. Rather, clients will travel to the treatment facility (transportation may be provided) for a particular number of programming hours each week and they will reside elsewhere.

OxyContin: A prescription opioid medication used to treat severe pain.

Percocet: A prescription opioid medication used to treat severe pain.

Prescription Drugs: Substances that are manufactured by pharmaceutical companies and legally obtained via prescriptions from a medical doctor or licensed medical care provider.

Recreational Therapy: Recreational therapy or therapeutic recreation (TR) is a systematic process that utilizes recreation (leisure) and other activities as interventions to address the assessed needs of individuals with illnesses and disabling conditions.

Relapse Prevention: A term used to identify various approaches used to minimize the risk of a recovering addict from using drugs again.

Spice: a synthetic cannabinoid drug.

Stimulants: a group of substances that increase activity within the nervous system.

Suboxone: A brand-name drug used to medically assist the treatment of opioid addiction.

Tramadol: a synthetic opioid drug use to treat moderate to severe pain.

Withdrawal: The development of various symptoms during detox from chemical dependence.

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