Glossary of Addiction Treatment Terms

Abstinence

Abstinence is a drug rehab term that refers to refraining from further drug use.

Act 106 of 1989

Act 106 of 1989 is a Pennsylvania law outlining the mandated minimum benefits for alcohol and drug addiction treatment under most group insurance plans in Pennsylvania.

Addict

An addict is a stigmatizing slang term for an individual with an addictive disorder.

Addiction

Addiction is a physiological or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, such as drugs or alcohol. Gateway believes addiction is not a moral failing; it’s a disease that can be treated. In Pennsylvania, contact Gateway Rehab’s Pittsburgh Drug Rehabilitation Center. In Ohio, contact Neil Kennedy Recovery Centers .

Addictive Personality

An addictive personality has certain characteristics that make addiction to drugs and alcohol more likely.

Adverse Reaction

An adverse reaction is a dangerous or unexpected response to drug use. This reaction may occur suddenly or may develop over time.

Affinity

Affinity is the strength that a drug or other addictive substance has which allows it to bind to its biological target (enzyme, receptor, transport system).

Age at Onset

The age of onset is the age at which one's addictive behavior began; this is an important factor in addiction assessment.

Alcohol Poisoning

Alcohol poisoning is the consequence of drinking large amounts of alcohol in a short period of time, affecting an individual’s breathing, heart rate, body temperature and gag reflex and potentially lead to coma and death.

AOD

AOD is a term used in drug rehab that stands for “Alcohol and Other Drugs.”

AODA

AODA is a term used in drug rehab that stands for “Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse.”

Assessment

Addiction assessment is a step in drug rehab used to determine the prevalence of a chemical dependency in a client or the extent of one's addiction, considering sociological, psychological, physical, and family factors.

Back-to-Work Agreement

A back-to-work agreement is a contract between a union and an employer. A back-to-work agreement covers the terms under which the employee will return to work.

Blackout

A blackout is acute anterograde amnesia, not associated with loss of consciousness, resulting from ingestion and abuse of drugs and/or alcohol; a period of memory loss during which there is little if any recall of activities.

Blood Alcohol Content (BAC)

 Blood Alcohol Content is the concentration of alcohol in the bloodstream (expressed as a percentage). BAC is used to establish whether a person is legally intoxicated, especially while driving under the law. The legal driving limit in the USA is 0.08% BAC if you’re over the age of 21.

Carfentanil

A drug related to fentanyl used to tranquilize elephants and other large animals. This synthetic drug (elephant tranquilizer) is 10,000 times as potent as morphine. It’s now being sold in the United States either mixed with heroin or pressed into pills and has been linked to the sudden spike in drug overdoses. 

Ceiling Effect

The ceiling effect occurs during substance abuse when the dosage of buprenorphine is increased beyond maximum levels and there are no different results.

Clinical Evaluation

A clinical evaluation is the assessment of a patient to determine frequency, intensity and duration of use along with potential co-occurring disorders, dual diagnosis, and mental/behavioral issues. In the Pittsburgh region, contact Gateway Rehab’s Pittsburgh Drug Rehabilitation Center. In Ohio, contact Neil Kennedy Recovery Centers .

Co-pay

Co-pay is a specified amount of out-of-pocket expenses for health-care services at the time the service is rendered, with the insurer paying the remaining costs.

Codependence

Codependence is a family member or friend's suffering that is the result of the side effects of one's drug addiction. This occurs when one takes responsibility for another's actions and helps that person avoid facing his or her problems directly to maintain the relationship.

Cold Turkey

Cold turkey refers to abruptly quitting a drug by choice in order to try to quit long-term.

Compulsive Behaviors

In a drug rehab facility, like Gateway Rehab, compulsive behaviors are a set of actions that an individual engages in repeatedly, towards drugs and alcohol, in an unhealthy way.

Consent to Disclose Treatment Information

You have consent to disclose treatment information when a patient has signed a valid consent form that has not expired or been revoked. No information obtained from a provider, even with patient consent, may be used in a criminal investigation or prosecution of a patient unless a court order has been issued.

Craving

A craving is a powerful and strong desire for drugs, alcohol, or other substances often abused. It is a symptom of the abnormal brain adaptions that result from addiction.

Crisis Intervention

In the world of addiction, crisis intervention is a method used to offer immediate, short-term help to individuals who experience an event that produces emotional, mental, physical, and behavioral distress. Gateway Rehab is a top resource in the Pittsburgh region for crisis intervention.

Cross-Dependence

Cross-dependence is the ability of one drug to prevent the withdrawal symptoms of one's physical dependence on another.

Cross-Tolerance

Cross-tolerance occurs when one's tolerance for one drug results in their lessened response to another.

Deductible

Deductible is the amount of expenses that must be paid out of pocket before an insurer will pay any expenses.

Detoxification

Detoxification reduces or relieves withdrawal symptoms while helping an addicted individual adjust to living without drug use. Detoxification represents an early step within long-term treatment. Detoxification may be achieved drug-free or may use medications as an aspect of treatment. Gateway Rehab has two detox centers located in the Pittsburgh area as well as one in Youngstown, Ohio.

Doctor Shopping

Doctor shopping is when a patient requests care simultaneously from multiple physicians without their knowledge in order to receive higher amounts of medications for drug addiction. Officials in Pennsylvania have passed a bill, preventing doctor shopping, by creating a drug database system that allows medical professionals to see what each patient is being prescribed by other doctors.

Dopamine

Dopamine is a brain chemical, classified as a neurotransmitter, found in regions that regulate movement, emotion, motivation, and pleasure.

Drug Misuse

 Drug misuse is the illicit drug taking or alcohol consumption, which leads a person to experience social, psychological, physical or legal problems related to intoxication or regular excessive consumption and/or dependence.

Drug of Choice

Drug of choice is the favored legal/illicit substance of an individual at a specific point in time.

Dual Diagnosis

 Dual Diagnosis is the simultaneous presence of two independent medical disorders, including a mental health disorder and a drug and/or alcohol addiction.

Employee Assistance Program

Employee assistance programs are employer-sponsored services to assist personnel with marital/family problems, mental health, substance abuse, and financial or legal concerns, so that they may remain on the job and effective. For instance, Back On Track is an employee assistance program of Gateway Rehab, offered in the Pittsburgh Area, which helps referrals address a variety of issues during rehab.

Enabling

 Enabling is when someone helps an addicted person do things they can or should be doing for him or herself, which causes drug and/or alcohol addiction progression.

Evidence Based Programs

Evidence based programs are programs recognized as demonstrating the highest level of evidence of effectiveness based on scientific evaluation, replication, and sustainability over time. If implemented with adherence to the program developer’s model, they are likely to produce positive outcomes. All programs offered at Gateway Rehab are scientifically evaluated before put into practice.

Evidence-Based Treatment

Evidence-Based Treatment is scientifically validated treatment approaches for drug and alcohol addiction. For instance, Pittsburgh’s Gateway Rehab and Ohio’s Neil Kennedy Recovery Centers  includes counseling, cognitive-behavioral therapies, a twelve-step model, and medically assisted treatments.

Extended Care

 Extended Care is when an individual stays at a drug and alcohol rehab facility for longer than the traditional 30, 60, or 90 day cycle. This extended care may include post treatment methods designed to help an individual uphold an addiction free life. Gateway Rehab offers housing programs in the Pittsburgh area during recovery for extended care.

External Trigger

External triggers are people, places and things that can cause vivid memories of old habits and create problems for drug and alcohol recovery.

Federal Confidentiality Law

Federal Law that prohibits any information disclosed that identifies an individual directly or indirectly as having a current or past drug or alcohol problem, or as a participant in a program.

Federal Confidentiality Law

Federal Confidentiality Law is a federal law that prohibits any information disclosed that identifies an individual directly or indirectly as having a current or past drug or alcohol problem, or as a participant in a program.

Fentanyl

One of the strongest opiate drugs on the market, fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid analgesic similar to morphine but 50-100 times more potent. It’s used to treat patients with severe pain usually after surgery or for patients who are physically tolerant to other opioids. Fentanyl comes in different forms including a lollipop, patch, a small piece of film that dissolves under the tongue, a pill or in hospital settings it can be injected. Using this drug is highly dangerous since the difference between a therapeutic dose and a deadly dose is very small.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)  oversee federal laws regarding the safety and effectiveness of drugs.

Gateway Drug

A gateway drug is a habit-forming drug that opens the door to the use of other harder, addictive drugs.

Halfway House

A Halfway House is a community-based residential treatment and rehabilitation facility that provides services for chemically dependent persons in a supportive, chemical-free environment.  Halfway houses provide substance abuse treatment and emphasize protective and supportive elements of family living. This type of rehab encourages and provides opportunities for independent growth and responsible living. In Pittsburgh, Gateway Rehab offers male and female extended care or halfway house services.

Informed Consent

Informed consent is a legal procedure ensuring that a patient, client, and research participants are aware of all the potential risks and costs involved in a treatment or procedure.

Inpatient Rehabilitation

Inpatient Rehabilitation is when patients live on campuses and receive medical and therapeutic care 24 hours a day/7 days per week from a multidisciplinary team of specialists. Gateway Rehab offers inpatient rehab based on your specific needs.

Intensive Outpatient

Intensive outpatient allows a patient to live at home during drug or alcohol rehabilitation because they do not need medically supervised detox. The major focus is relapse prevention. Intensive outpatient programs meet 3 days a week for 2-4 hours a day or more. These programs are often scheduled around work or school to accommodate daily schedules. The Gateway Rehab system offers suitable outpatient locations in Western PA and Ohio to serve individual needs.

Internal Trigger

Internal triggers are thoughts or ideas that set off cravings for individuals going through the drug and alcohol recovery process. Ignoring triggers during the recovery process may increase the risk of relapse.

Intoxication

Intoxication is the condition of being drunk, high, or in an altered state due to the use and abuse of drugs and/or alcohol.

Kratom

A psychoactive drug that comes from the leaves of the kratom plant. It is new to the United States and Europe but has been widely used as a recreational drug in Southeast Asia (especially Thailand, although it is now banned). Kratom is an alternative to prescription drugs and known for its opioid-like effects. It’s also used to treat opioid withdrawal but can be addictive itself.

Length of Stay

Lengths of stay in detox, residential and outpatient programs are dependent on the needs of the individual and are determined through an assessment and evaluation process.

Medication-Assisted Treatment

Medication-assisted treatment combines behavioral therapy and medications in order to treat substance abuse.

Methadone

Methadone is a long-acting synthetic opioid medication that is an effective opioid addiction and pain treatment used in drug rehab.

Naloxone

Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that blocks the effects of opioid agonists.

Narcan®

Narcan is nasal spray used for emergency treatment of opioid overdose. Naloxone is a primary ingredient of Narcan and can reverse the effects of an overdose of heroin or some types of painkillers. It’s been used for years by paramedics and emergency room doctors to save lives. This medication blocks the effects of drugs made from opioids including heroin, morphine, oxycodone, methadone, fentanyl, hydrocodone, codeine, hydromorphone and buprenorphine. 

Norepinephrine

A norepinephrine is a neurotransmitter present in the brain and the peripheral (sympathetic) nervous system; and a hormone released by the adrenal glands. In drug rehab, norepinephrine is involved in attention, responses to stress, and it regulates smooth muscle contraction, heart rate, and blood pressure.

Off-Label Use

Off-label use permits physicians to prescribe FDA approved medications for other uses not specified on the label.

Outpatient Rehab

Outpatient Rehab is a drug and alcohol recovery program that provides patients with more freedom to maintain a regular commitment to family, work, and educational responsibilities. This type of drug rehab allows for a greater level of privacy and anonymity. Recovering individuals often do not need to explain a prolonged absence to friends, coworkers, or family members. In the Pittsburgh region, Gateway Rehab offers outpatient rehab five days a week for your convenience. 

Partial Hospitalization

Partial hospitalization is a drug rehab treatment for patients who require ongoing medical monitoring but have a stable living situation. Partial hospitalization treatment programs meet at an outpatient office 3-5 days a week for a minimum of 4-6 hours per day. 

Physical Dependence

Physical dependence is an adaptive physiological state that occurs with regular drug use and results in a withdrawal syndrome when drug use is stopped often occurring with tolerance. Physical dependence can happen with chronic—even appropriate—use of many medications, and by itself does not constitute drug addiction.

Placebo

A placebo is a substance containing no pharmacological elements that may cause a reaction based on a patient's mindset.

Polysubstance Abuse

In drug rehab, polysubstance abuse is simultaneous abuse of more than one addictive substance.

Prescription Drug Abuse

Prescription drug abuse is the use of a medication without a prescription, other than as prescribed, or for the experience. This is a drug and alcohol addiction term used interchangeably with "nonmedical" use.

Prescription Drug Misuse

Prescription drug misuse is the use of prescription medication in a way not intended by the prescribing doctor. The most common misuse occurs because of drug addiction.

Psychological Dependence

Psychological dependence is a person’s emotional or mental need for a drug or other addictive substance.

Psychotherapeutics

Psychotherapeutics are drugs that have an effect on the function of the brain and are often used to treat psychiatric/neurologic disorders, including opioids, CNS depressants, and stimulants.

Reaction Time

Reaction time is the amount of time from the instant your brain detects an external stimulus until the moment you respond to it.

Recovery Coach

Recovery Coaches are individuals who may or may not be in recovery themselves, who help people before, during and after treatment. Recovery coaches are not therapists. They focus on non-clinical issues including housing, employment, legal involvement, and help engage people who are waiting to get into treatment.

Refusal Skills

Refusal skills are addiction recovery strategies that help you say no to drugs and/or alcohol effectively.

Rehab Center

A drug rehab center is a facility for treating those who are addicted to drugs and/or alcohol. Gateway Rehab has addiction recovery centers located in both Pittsburgh and Youngstown, Ohio.

Relapse

Relapse is the recurrence of any disease that has gone into remission or recovery. During the recovery process, you may become exposed to certain triggers and other risk factors that increase the return to substance abuse.

Student Assistance Program

A student assistance program is a professionally trained team of school administrators, staff and liaisons from community drug, alcohol and mental health agencies. K-12 SAP teams identify student barriers to learning and provide links to in-school and community supports as needed. SAP teams do not diagnose, treat or refer for treatment, but they may recommend a screening or assessment from a licensed community provider.

Suboxone®

Suboxone is a medication used to treat individuals addicted to opioids. It contains two active ingredients—buprenorphine and naloxone. Buprenorphine can help to suppress withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings. Naloxone is to help prevent misuse.  Suboxone is intended for ingestion either under the tongue or on the side of the cheek.  It’s available in four dosage strengths.

Substance Abuse

Substance abuse is a pattern of substance use leading to significant impairment or distress by one (or more) of the following: failure to fulfill role obligations at work, school, or home; use in situations in which it is physically hazardous; substance-related legal problems; recurrent social or interpersonal problems.

Substance Abuse Professional

A substance abuse professional is a licensed professional who evaluates employees who have violated a company drug-free workplace program. They make recommendations concerning education, treatment, follow-up testing, and aftercare.

Twelve Step Facilitation Therapy

Twelve-step facilitation therapy is a brief, structured, manual-driven approach to facilitate early recovery from alcohol and other drug abuse and addiction. Gateway utilizes this approach for individuals in the Pittsburgh and Youngstown region going through rehab.  

Utilization Review

Utilization review is the process of comparing requests for medical services (“utilization”) to guidelines or criteria that are deemed appropriate for such services, and making a recommendation based on that comparison

Vivitrol®

Vivitrol is an injectable medicine used to treat alcohol dependence and to prevent relapse of opioid abuse. This medication works by blocking the action of opioids. It’s important Vivitrol is not used in people currently taking opioids since it will cause sudden withdrawal symptoms.

Withdrawal Symptoms

Withdrawal symptoms are severe physical and emotional symptoms that accompany ceasing to take an addictive drug (e.g., anxiety, fatigue, sweating, vomiting, depression, seizures, hallucinations).