Glossary
Addiction: A
chronic, relapsing disease characterized
by compulsive drug seeking and use,
despite harmful consequences, and by
neurochemical and molecular changes in
the brain.
Barbiturate: A
type of CNS depressant often prescribed
to promote sleep. Benzodiazepine: A type
of CNS depressant often prescribed to
relieve anxiety. Valium and Librium are
among the most widely prescribed
medications.
Buprenorphine:
Medication approved by the FDA in
October 2002 for treatment of opioid
addiction.
Central nervous system (CNS):
The brain and spinal
cord.
CNS depressants:
A class of drugs that slow CNS function
(also called sedatives and
tranquilizers), some of which are used
to treat anxiety and sleep disorders;
includes barbiturates and
benzodiazepines.
Detoxification:
A process that enables the body to rid
itself of a drug, while at the same time
managing the individual's symptoms of
withdrawal; often the first step in a
drug treatment program.
Dopamine: A
neurotransmitter present in regions of
the brain that regulate movement,
emotion, motivation, and feelings of
pleasure.
Methadone: A
long-acting synthetic medication that is
effective in treating opioid addiction.
Narcolepsy: A
disorder characterized by uncontrollable
episodes of deep sleep.
Norepinephrine:
A neurotransmitter present in some areas
of the brain and the adrenal glands;
decreases smooth muscle contraction and
increases heart rate; often released in
response to low blood pressure or
stress.
Opioids:
Controlled drugs or narcotics most often
prescribed for the management of pain;
natural or synthetic chemicals based on
opium's active componentÑmorphineÑthat
work by mimicking the actions of
pain-relieving chemicals produced in the
body.
Opiophobia: A
healthcare provider's fear that patients
will become addicted to opioids even
when using them appropriately; can lead
to the underprescribing of opioids for
pain management.
Physical dependence:
An adaptive physiological state that can
occur with regular drug use and results
in withdrawal when drug use is
discontinued. (Physical dependence alone
is not the same as addiction, which
involves compulsive drug seeking and
use, despite its harmful consequences.)
Polydrug abuse:
The abuse of two or more drugs at the
same time, such as CNS depressants and
alcohol.
Prescription drug abuse:
The intentional misuse of a medication
outside of the normally accepted
standards of its use.
Prescription drug misuse:
Taking a medication in a manner other
than that prescribed or for a different
condition than that for which the
medication is prescribed.
Psychotherapeutics:
Drugs that have an effect on the
function of the brain and that often are
used to treat psychiatric disorders; can
include opioids, CNS depressants, and
stimulants.
Respiratory depression:
Depression of respiration (breathing)
that results in the reduced availability
of oxygen to vital organs.
Sedatives:
Drugs that suppress anxiety and relax
muscles; the National Survey on Drug Use
and Health classification includes
benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and other
types of CNS depressants.
Stimulants:
Drugs that increase or enhance the
activity of monamines (such as dopamine
and norepinephrine) in the brain, which
leads to increased heart rate, blood
pressure, and respiration; used to treat
only a few disorders, such as narcolepsy
and ADHD.
Tolerance: A
condition in which higher doses of a
drug are required to produce the same
effects as experienced initially.
Tranquilizers:
Drugs prescribed to promote sleep or
reduce anxiety; this National Survey on
Drug Use and Health classification
includes benzodiazepines, barbiturates,
and other types of CNS depressants.
Withdrawal: A
variety of symptoms that occur after
chronic use of some drugs is reduced or
stopped.
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