Duffy’s provides clients a resource to understand addiction, substances, and related terms. With this knowledge, you will better read and understand the substances being abused and the effects on you or your loved one’s body.
Technical Terms
- Addiction: Addiction is a chronic disease of the brain that is characterized by the inability to abstain from a particular substance or other behaviors.
- Amnesia: loss of memory
- Analgesic: a drug that relieves pain
- Antitussive: cough suppressant
- Central Nervous System: brain and spinal cord
- Cross-Addiction: just as an individual is breaking their first addiction, they become addicted to another drug, often a substance from the same class of drugs
- Denial: when the addict actually believes that he is not addicted, using rationalization and excuse making to justify that they do not have a problem.
- Dissociation: a psychological experience when a perceptions of sight and sound are distorted, and a person feel disconnected from the environment and themselves. It is sometimes described as an “out of body” experience.
- Dissociative Amnesia: is an experience that involves a blocking out of critical information and there is a “gap” in the memory. This is a common effect of date rape drugs, such as Rohypnol.
- Dopamine: a neurotransmitter that affects mood and muscle control. Dopamine-related disorders include Parkinson’s Disease, ADHA, Alzheimer’s depression, bipolar disorders, addiction, schizophrenia, and binge eating.
- Euphoria: a mental condition in which a person feels an intense sense of elation, happiness and well-being.
- Extended Release: (Sustained Release, long-acting): a drug that is absorbed slowly by the body, resulting in a longer therapeutic effect
- Hypnotic: an agent or drug that produces sleep
- Immediate Release: a drug that is absorbed quickly by the body, resulting in an immediate result or reaction
- Insomnia: difficulty in falling or staying asleep
- Moderate Drinking: no more than 3-4 standard drinks per drinking episode, no more than 9 drinks/week for women, and 12-14/week for men.
- Narcotic: a drug derived from opium that reduces pain and can cause behavior alteration and dependence with long term use
- Neurotransmitter: is a natural chemical released by all neurons in the human body. Neurotransmitters allow the transmission of signals from neuron to the next, making them crucial for neuron-to-neuron communication. Almost all drugs work by affecting the release or acceptance of these chemicals from one neuron to the next.
- Opiate: a natural narcotic from the opium poppy plant
- Opioid: a class of narcotic analgesics that bind to opioid receptors in the body; includes both synthetic and non-synthetic
- Pain Perception: when the pain transmission reaches the brain and the brain recognizes it as pain
- Pain Threshold: the level when a stimulus becomes painful; the point where pain is felt
- Pain Tolerance: the maximum amount of pain a person can tolerate before breaking down physically or emotionally
- Relapse: Relapse is when a recovering alcoholic or addict returns to the substance they used to abuse.
- Sedative: an agent or drug that has a soothing or calming effect that reducing anxiety, stress and irritability.
- Serotonin: is a neurotransmitter that is found primarily in the central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract. Serotonin plays a part in regulating mood, feelings, appetite, sleep, pain perception and memory. Serotonin is linked to many types of behavior disorders and is most commonly used to treat conditions such as depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
- Social Drinking: the consumption of alcohol in a legal, responsible and controlled manner that is not for the purpose of getting drunk. Usually 3 or less measured drinks, or a blood alcohol level of up to 0.05% is within the social drinking range.
- Standard Drink: any drink with 14 grams of pure alcohol, equivalent to a 12 oz beer, 5 oz of table wine, a shot of brandy, or 1.5 oz of 80-proof spirits.
- Synapse: the junction between neurons that allow neurons to pass signals between them.
Drugs
- Alprazolam: Alprazolam (Xanax) is an anti-anxiety medication that slows down the central nervous system, easing tension and stress. Alprazolam mixed with other depressant drugs such as alcohol can cause overdose and death.
- Amphetamines: also known as “speed”, are a class of drugs that stimulate the brain and give the user an enhanced feeling of alertness.
- Ambien: Ambien is a trade name for Zolpidem. See Zolpidem.
- Bath salts: is a designer drug disguised and sold as bath salts. They contain power stimulants which mimic the effects of cocaine, LSD, and methamphetamine.
- Barbiturates: is an older class of depressant drugs that cause relaxation and sleepiness
- Benzodiazepines: are a class of depressants widely prescribed for insomnia and anxiety. Common benzodiazepines include lorazepam, Xanax, diazepam.
- Cannabinoids: are natural substances found in the cannabis plant, and it is the primary psychoactive substance in marijuana
- Club Drug: are a diverse group of psychoactive drugs that are abused by teens and young adults at bars, nightclubs, concerts, and parties.
- Cocaine (Crack): is a powerful stimulant derived from the coca plant producing great psychological dependence. It is also the second most trafficked illegal drug in the world. It comes in powder form, and is usually snorted through the nose.
- Codeine: is a schedule II prescription drug derived from the opioid poppy. It is commonly prescribed with acetaminophen for pain control.
- Crack Cocaine: is the purest and most potent form of cocaine. It comes in crystals rather than the usual powdered form, which is then heated and smoked.
- Crystal Meth (Ice): is a crystal form of highly concentrated methamphetamine. It is a common club drug.
- Date Rape Drugs: drugs that have been used to commit sexual assaults. Date drugs are usually depressants, because they can easily be slipped into drinks and cause the victim to lose consciousness.
- Depressant Drugs: are also known as central nervous system depressants because they inhibit the activity in the brain. Depressant drugs include barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and alcohol.
- Designer Drug: illegal drugs that are created by changing the chemical structure of a pre-existing drug.
- Ecstasy (MDMA): is a synthetic stimulant drug that is popular at raves and night clubs that produces effects of alertness, euphoria and feelings of love for those around you.
- Fentanyl: is a schedule II synthetic opioids 100 times more powerful than morphine. Fentanyl patches is the most common form of this drug.
- GHB: is a central nervous system depressant that is a common club drug. It is frequently combined with alcohol and other beverages. It has also been used to commit sexual assaults.
- Hallucinogens: are profound distortions in a person’s perception of reality
- Hashish (Hash): is a stronger form of marijuana made by compressing the leaves of the plant cannabis plant.
- Heroin: is an illegal drug made from the poppy plant. It is derived from morphine but heroin is more powerful than morphine.
- Hydrocodone: is a Schedule II semi-synthetic analgesic that is commonly prescribed with acetaminophen to treat moderate to severe pain.
- Hydromorphine (Dilaudid): is a painkiller derived from morphine that can be up to 8 times more potent than morphine. It is commonly prescribed for patients with chronic moderate to severe pain.
- Ketamine: is a dissociative designer drug abused at night clubs. It produces a dreamlike state and hallucinations.
- LSD (Acid): is known as lysergic acid diethylamide and is one of the world’s most potent hallucinogens.
- Marijuana (Pot, Weed, Grass): is the highly addictive mind- altering drug produced from dry, shredded mix of the flowers, seeds and leaves of the plant Cannabis sativa.
- Meperidine (Demerol): is a prescription painkiller used for acute episodes of pain
- Methadone: is a schedule II opioid used to treat severe pain and opioid addiction.
- Methamphetamine (Speed, Crank, Chalk): is an amphetamine derivative that works by stimulating the brain, producing feelings of increased alertness and euphoria
- Morphine: is considered the most powerful natural pain reliever in the world, and is the standard by which other opioids are measured.
- Nicotine: is the chief ingredient in tobacco that is responsible for the addictive properties of smoking
- Nitrates: see inhalants
- Oxycodone (Percocet, Oxycontin): is a Schedule II narcotic that is up to 10 times as powerful as morphine.
- OxyContin: is a brand name schedule II prescription drug that contains pure oxycodone. It is an extended release medication, which means it releases small doses of oxycodone throughout an extended period of time. OxyContin is among the most heavily abused painkiller; addicts crush the tablets to get the full dose of oxycodone at once.
- PCP: is a dissociative designer drug. Users experience psychological effects, with symptoms similar to schizophrenia (delusions, hallucinations, anxiety)
- Ritalin: is a Schedule II narcotic. It is prescribed for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and attention deficit disorder (ADD) in children but is commonly abused by teens and college students for its stimulant effects.
- Rohypnol (Flunitrazepam): is a benzodiazepine that produces blackouts. It is the prototypical date rape drug.
- Stimulant Drugs: stimulant drugs enhance the brain activity and increases awareness. Stimulant drugs include amphetamines, methamphetamines, and cocaine.
- Synthetic Marijuana (K2, Spice): is a recent designer drug that mimics the effects of marijuana. It peaked in popularity in 2010-2011.
- Vicodin: is among the most commonly prescribed and abused painkiller in the nation. It is a mixture of hydrocodone and acetaminophen.
- Xanax: Xanax is the trade name for Alprazolam. See Alprazolam.
- Zolpidem: Zolpidem (Ambien) is a sedative-hypnotic prescription drug widely used to treat insomnia and other sleep problems. It has a high tolerance rate, and persons who abuse the drug fight the sleeping urge to experience hallucinations and euphoria.