Addict – To be dependent on a habit-forming substance such as drugs, or food, or dependent on a behaviour or activity such as gambling, gaming, food, or sex. To occupy oneself in something habitually or compulsively.
What is addiction? – The condition of being addicted to a particular substance or behaviour. The state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, such as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.
An addict – Is a person who is addicted, especially to narcotic drugs or a compulsive activity or behaviour.
Abstinence, Abstention – The practice of stopping oneself from indulging in something, typically, drugs, alcohol or sex.
Abstinent – To cease an activity or the consumption of something such as drugs, or alcohol.
Acamprosate – medicine given to alcoholics, it reduces cravings and makes them very sick if they drink with it.
Alcohol detox – Treatment to rid the body of toxins caused by drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.
Alcohol treatment, drink help, alcohol rehab – Treatment to help with addiction to alcohol.
Addiction help – Treatment to help with any type of addiction.
Amphetamine – Simulant more commonly called Speed.
Anorexia -Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder. Eating disorders are conditions in which there is a serious disturbance in the way a person deals with food, weight, and body image. The main feature of anorexia nervosa is to lose weight or maintain an abnormally low weight for one’s age and height. It is accompanied by a variety of changes in behaviour, emotions, thinking, perceptions, and social interactions.
Abscess – A possible side effect of IV drug use this is a swollen area within body tissue, containing an accumulation of pus. They can be extremely painful and a severe risk for infection when they burst.
Benzo, benzodiazepine – A group of drugs used as tranquilizers such as Valium and Librium (chlordiazepoxide). Others derivatives include Temazepam, Diazepam, lofexidene. They are also known as blues, blueys (10mgs diazepam) or tabs.
Brown, smack – Alternative names for Heroin
Bulimia – This is an eating disorder. Bulimia is manifested by obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours around food. Many sufferers are trapped within a ‘binge-purge cycle’ that is characterised by over-eating and self-induced vomiting.
Buprenorphine – used in detox for opiates Buprenorphine (Subutex, Temgesic, or Suboxone [buprenorphine:naloxone 4:1 preparation] – sublingual tablets – Buprenex – for injection – and Norspan – transdermal patch) is a semi-synthetic opoid that is used to treat opioid addiction in higher dosages (>2mg) and to control moderate pain in non-opioid tolerant individuals in lower dosages (~200µg).
Cocaine – an addictive drug derived from coca or prepared synthetically, used as an illegal stimulant.
Crack cocaine – This is the form of cocaine that can be smoked. It may also be termed rock, hard, iron, cavvy, base, or just crack
Cannabis – Cannabis, also known as marijuana(sometimes spelled marihuana) among many other names; skunk, brown, hash, and hashish, Cannabis: marijuana, skunk, sensi, cheese, hash, hashish, joint, spliff, ganja, and weed. Cannabis refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug. The typical herbal form of cannabis consists of the flowers, leaves and stalks of mature female plants. In resin form it is known as hashish (or ‘hash’).
Chasing the dragon, or Chasing – Refers to smoking heroin.
Citric Acid – used to prepare Heroin for smoking or injecting
Clean – To have gone through the process of detox and stopped being dependent on drugs or alcohol. To ‘be clean’ means to be no longer addicted.
Co-dependency- “A co-dependent person is one who has later another persons behaviour affect him or her and who is obsessed with controlling that persons behaviour”. Definition taken from Codependent No More. (Author Melody Beattie, published by Hazelden)
Counselling – The process of finding help or treatment. The purpose of counselling is to help you explore your feelings and look at your way of thinking. This may help you discover what lies behind the issues that are troubling you.
Craving – To experience a powerful desire for something like drugs or alcohol or nicotine.
Drug rehab, rehab – Rehab is short for rehabilitation. Rehab often refers to treatment centres that offer treatment, therapy and education for drug and alcohol dependence (typically a residential facility). These centres aim to help individuals stop their addiction.
Detox– This is short for detoxification. It means the medical treatment of an alcoholic or drug addict involving abstention from drink or drugs until the bloodstream is free of toxins.
DF, DF118, dyhydrocodeine – Is a type of medicine called an opioid painkiller. It is used to relieve moderate to severe pain and can be used in detox and addiction treatment.
Drug detox – Treatment to rid the body of toxins caused by taking drugs.
Drug treatment – the process of detox, therapy and education that helps individuals rid their body of drugs and learn about the addictive behaviour that made them an addict.
Drug help – Treatment to help with addiction to any type of drug.
Drugs – medicine or other substance, which has a physiological effect when taken or otherwise introduced into the body. A substance taken for its narcotic or stimulant effects, often illegally. Types of drug include: heroin, cocaine, and crack, Cannabis, Valium.
DVT, dvt, deep vein thrombosis – Can be a side effect of IV drug use. This is the formation of a blood clot in a deep vein. DVT can have fatal complications if not treated.
Eating Disorders – These are compulsive relationship with food, distorted self-image and self-hatred associated with anorexia, bulimia and overeating characterise the discomfort that drives other addictive behaviours
Ecstasy, E – This is a powerful stimulant and mood changer that speeds up your body system and alters your perception of the world. (Ecstasy is known in medical/ scientific circles as MDMA).
Euphoria – a feeling of happiness, confidence, or well being sometimes exaggerated in pathological states as mania.
Family help – Help, counselling, education and assistance for the family of individuals who are demonstrating addictive behaviour.
Food help – Help to deal with eating disorders, issues around food, obesity.
Gaming – Playing games using interactive games consoles such as Microsoft Xbox 360, PlayStation, Playstation, Nintendo Wii, PSP, DSi, DS Lite, and PS2.
Gambling – To play games of chance for money e.g. lottery, horses, betting, slot machines, bingo, poker.
Gambling addiction – To be addicted to playing games of chance (see gambling)
Heroin – A highly addictive analgesic drug derived from morphine, often used illicitly as a narcotic producing euphoria. Alternative name: diacetylmorphine. An illegal drug, Heroin can be smoked or injected IV (intravenous injection)
IV, Intravenous – This is when a drug such as Heroin, enters the body via injection into a vein
Junkie – A person with a compulsive habit or obsessive dependency on something.
Ketamine – A compound illegally used as a hallucinogen.
Kick the habit – To free oneself of or stop an addiction to anything – often drugs or cigarettes.
12 Step Rehab – A drug rehab centre that bases its treatment on the 12 Step programme originally introduced by AA (Alcoholics Anonymous). See our Rehab Bristol page.
12 Steps, 12 Step Programme. This is a set of principles outlining a course of action for recovery from addiction, compulsion or other behavioural problems. Originally proposed by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) as a method of recovery from alcoholism, the Twelve Steps were first published in the book, Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered From Alcoholism in 1939. The method was then adapted and became the foundation of other 12 Step programmes such as Narcotics Anonymous, Overeater Anonymous, Co-Dependents Anonymous and successful treatment centres like Western Counselling.
LSD – Stands for lysergic acid diethylamide (synthetic crystalline compound), which is a powerful hallucinogenic drug.
Mdma – Known as ecstasy, Methylenedioxymethamphetamine – MDMA can induce euphoria, a sense of intimacy with others, and diminished anxiety and depression
Methadone – Methadone Hydrochloride is an opioid (a synthetic opiate) it is more widely used now as a substitute drug for people addicted to other opiates (primarily heroin).
Mephedrone – is also known as drone, miaow or bubbles. Coming from a class of drugs known as ‘cathinones,’ it is a stimulant with psychoactive properties. Became popular with clubbers. It became an illegal substance in 2010.
Naltrexone – This used to stop the effects of opiate, also known as an opiate blocker.
Obesity – Obesity is a modern problem. The increase of convenience foods, labour-saving devices, motorised transport and more sedentary jobs means people are getting fatter. The body mass index (BMI) is the most commonly used way of classifying overweight and obesity in adult populations and individuals. BMI – is defined as a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in meters (kg/m2).
Opiate – Any drug derived from or related to opium.
Paraphernalia – Refers to items used for smoking Heroin. They include: foil, lighter, citric acid and straw of some kind.
Pollen – Another name for Cannabis resin.
Recovery – Return to health from addiction.
Relapse – To fall back into previous practices or behaviour.
Sex addiction, sex addict – Sexual addiction is a psychological condition in which an individual has a severe struggle in managing his or her sexual behaviour. Sometimes the condition is called sexual dependency or sexual compulsivity.
Sober – Not intoxicated by drugs or drink
Sobriety – The state of being sober.
Smack head or smack-head – Common term for someone who uses Heroin
Snowballing – An intravenous mix of heroin and crack
Speed – is a chemical compound that acts as a stimulant that can keep you awake for many hours. Its effects are like an adrenaline rush. Other names include: whizz, billy, sulphate, grudge, dexys, blues, and base.
Solvents – These are fast drying glues and adhesives, assorted paint and petroleum products, lighter fluid, dry-cleaning fluids, assorted aerosol sprays, surgical spirit, cleaners etc.
Solvent abuse – This involves inhaling the fumes from domestic and industrial products creating a strong intoxication. Traditionally referred to as ‘glue sniffing’.
Subutex – Is the trade name for Buprenorphine Hydrochloride. It is know by the street names subbbies, temmies and bupe.
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