Addiction - a glossary of terms

ADDICTION: a state of dependence on a drug substance harmful to physical, emotional and spiritual wellness.

DEPENDENCY: can be characterized by "4 C's"

• CONTROL - episodic loss of control (may not occur with every usage) One loses the ability to control one's use of the substance.
• COMPULSION - obsession that one has with their substance where they are constantly planning, using or recovering from last use. This vicious cycle can be referred to as chasing your tail, a repetitive pattern with predictable results. This is insanity.
• CONSEQUENCES - the person re-engages in use despite negative consequences with continued use. Areas can include health, emotional, physical, spiritual, financial, vocational, legal and relationship, including the relationship they have with themselves.
• CO-DEPENDENCY - a term given to the condition where those in contact with the addicted person lose self by focusing on the behavior of the person engaged in self-destructive behavior. As a co-dependent you must remember - you did not cause it, you can not control it, you can not cure it.

DRUG: a substance, which by its chemical nature affects the structure or function of a living thing.

PROGRESSION: experimentation --> regular use --> abuse --> dependency.

TOLERANCE: reduced sensitivity to a substance resulting from the adaptation of the body by repeated exposure to that substance; higher doses of the drug become necessary in order to maintain the original intensity of the response.

WITHDRAWAL: a state characterized by the appearance of physical signs and symptoms when the chronic administration of a drug is abruptly stopped. The withdrawal symptoms of any drug are generally the opposite of the effects induced by the drug itself, and the severity of symptoms varies with the type of drug and the frequency of use, dosage, duration of use and other pharmacological factors.

Addiction - a Glossary of Terms

Addiction - the Disease Model

Alcoholism - the Progression Downward