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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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