Abstinence- To refrain from the usage of chemicals,
alcohol or drugs for which a person may have become addicted.
Addict- A person who has a craving for mind altering
substance or drug of which he/she cannot help.
Addiction- A dependence on alcohol, drugs, sex,
etc. that becomes a physical and psychological craving. No consequence
or hurt can stop an addiction.
Alcoholic- A person who drinks alcoholic substances
habitually. One who cannot fight the craving once started.
Alcoholics Anonymous- A voluntary, anonymous,
self-help organization of individuals who have a problem with their
consumption of chemicals whether drugs or alcohol. Abstinence is
achieved through a 12-step process and a setting of one alcoholic
sharing his/her like experiences with another alcoholic.
Alcoholism- A disease characterized by the excessive
consumption of and dependence on alcoholic beverages, which could
lead to physical and psychological harm and could impair social
and vocational functioning.
Al-Anon- A 12-step process for loved ones who
have been affected by an alcoholic/addict. It introduces alcoholism
to those who might not understand the disease. It teaches coping
skills and how to become supportive of the alcoholic yet not enable
them.
Amphetamine- Synthetic amines (uppers) that act
with a pronounced stimulant effect on the nervous system.
Barbiturates- A class of drugs used in medicine
as hypnotic agents to promote sleep or sedation. Some are also useful
in the control of epilepsy. All are central nervous system depressants
and are subject to abuse.
Binge Drinking- The consumption of five or more
alcoholic drinks in a row on at least one occasion.
Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)- The amount
of alcohol in the bloodstream measured in percentages.
Chemical Dependency- A physical and psychological
habituation to a mind-mood altering substance such as alcohol or
drugs.
Cocaine- A drug, alkaloid, methylbenzoylecgonine,
obtained from the leaves of the coca tree. It is a central nervous
system stimulant that produces euphoric excitement.
Depressants- Drugs that reduce the activity of
the nervous system (alcohol, downers, and narcotics).
Designer Drugs- Illegal drugs are defined in terms
of their chemical formulas. To circumvent these legal restrictions,
underground chemists modify the molecular structure of certain illegal
drugs to produce analogs known as designer drugs. Most are related
to amphetamines. This can cause neurochemical damage to the brain.
Detoxification- A treatment for addiction to drugs
or alcohol intended to rid the body from addictive substances.
Downers- Barbiturates, minor tranquilizers, and
related depressants.
Drug- A drug is any chemical substance that alters
mood, perception, or consciousness.
Drug Abuse- Pathological use of prescribed or
un-prescribed chemical substance.
Dual Diagnosis- Substance abuse or chemical dependency
in addition to or co-existing with a psychiatric disorder.
Enabling- Allowing irresponsible and destructive
behavior patterns to continue by taking responsibility for others,
not allowing them to face consequences of their own actions.
Families Anonymous- A 12-step, self-help recovery
and fellowship of support groups for relatives and friends of those
who have alcohol, drug or behavioral problems. They share their
like experiences, strengths and hope with each other and with new
members.
Habituation- The result of repeated consumption
of a drug which produces psychological but no physical dependence.
The psychological dependence produces a desire (not a compulsion)
to continue taking drugs for the sense of improved well-being.
Hallucinogens- Drugs that stimulate the nervous
system and produce varied changes in perception and mood.
Hashish- The concentrated resin of the marijuana
plant.
Heroin- A semi-synthetic derivative of morphine
originally used as an analgesic and cough depressant. In harmful
doses it induces euphoria; makes the user think that she/he is removed
from reality, tension and pressures.
Inhalants- Inhalants include a variety of psychoactive
substances which are inhaled as gases or volatile liquids. They
include glue, gasoline, paint thinner, and other household products
that are not considered to be drugs.
Intervention- When someone who cares for the alcoholic/addict
makes a healthy decision to introduce the process of recovery to
the sick person. It is when one steps into the addict/alcoholics
path and tries to veer their direction to a healthier one. If taken
in the right direction, one may find that a new life has just begun.
LSD- LSD distorts perception of time and space,
and creates illusions and hallucinations. It comes in liquid form
and most often swallowed after being placed on small pieces of paper.
It increases heart rate and blood pressure. Symptoms are nausea,
chills, flushes, irregular breathing, sweating and trembling.
Marijuana- Marijuana is prepared by crushing the
dried flowering cannabis top and leaves into tea like substance,
which is rolled into a joint and smoked. The user usually experiences
a distorted sense of time and distance, and suffers from reduced
attention span and loss of memory. Symptoms may include impaired
judgment, slow reaction time, confusion of time sense and limited
motor skills.
Methadone- A synthetic opiate with action similar
to that of morphine and heroin except that withdrawal is less severe.
It is used as a substitute for heroin in the treatment of addicts.
Methamphetamine- A stimulant commonly referred
to as uppers and speed. It is found in powder, pill, and capsule
forms and can be inhaled, swallowed and injected. The effects are
alertness, euphoria, loss of appetite, dilated pupils, elevated
heart rate, increased breathing and elevated body temperature. Terms
to describe methamphetamines are: meth, crank, crystal, ice, glass,
or speed.
Narcotics- A class of depressant drugs derived
from opium or related chemically to compounds of opium. Very addictive
if regularly used.
Narcotics Anonymous- A self-help organization
of individuals who have a dependence on drugs and want to commit
to a life of abstinence. One addict helping another to achieve the
same goal goes a long way and could save someone's life.
Opiates- Drugs derived from opium such as morphine
and codeine, together with the semi-synthetic congeners such as
heroin.
PCP- PCP is also known as Angel Dust. It is a
synthetic substance that is chemically related to ketamine, which
is widely used in anesthesia. Symptoms may include blurred vision,
diminished sensation, muteness, confusion, anxious amnesia, distortion
of body image, thought disorder, and variable motor depression or
stimulation, which may include aggressive or bizarre behavior.
Physical Dependence- When a person cannot function
normally without the repeated use of a drug. When the drug is taken
away, the person has severe physical and psychic disturbances.
Recovery- A lifelong process of change to abstain
from alcohol/drug usage. A character building process which increases
the chance of staying clean and sober.
Relapse- To fall back into the former state of
drinking or using once treatment or recovery has begun. The act
of going back to old behavior or regressing from sobriety.
Sober Living- A semi-structured residential setting
of alcoholics/addicts who have completed treatment and need continued
support for up to a year.
Sobriety- Abstinence from consumption of alcohol
or drugs.
Steroids- A large family of pharmaceutical drugs
related to the adrenal hormone cortisone.
Stimulants- Drugs that increase the activity of
the nervous system, causing wakefulness.
Tolerance- A state in which the body's tissue
cells adjust to the presence of a drug. The term "tolerance"
refers to a state in which the body becomes used to the presence
of a drug in given amounts and eventually fails to respond to ordinarily
effective dosages. Therefore, larger doses are necessary to produce
desired effects.
Twelve Step Programs- A process of abstinence
taken from the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous used by millions
of alcoholics/addicts as a starting point into a new life. The steps
represent an admittance to ones self that he/she has a problem with
alcohol/drug abuse, a cleansing process of shame, guilt, and resentments,
a character building process, an amending process and a process
of giving back for the new life that one has received.
Uppers- Refer to stimulants.
Withdrawal- The symptoms that one may have when
detoxing from alcohol or drugs. This may include: nausea, insomnia,
anxiety, dementia, convulsions, sweating, trembling, weakness and
seizures.
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