Plain English, No Jargon
Addiction & Recovery Glossary
Treatment comes with a lot of unfamiliar words. Here is what each one actually means.
- Addiction (Substance Use Disorder)
- A medical condition where a person keeps using a substance even though it is causing harm. Doctors call it a substance use disorder, or SUD. It is a treatable chronic illness — like diabetes or high blood pressure — not a lack of willpower.
- Aftercare
- The support plan that starts when residential treatment ends. It usually includes outpatient therapy, support groups, and sometimes sober living. A good aftercare plan is one of the strongest predictors of staying sober.
- Alumni Program
- An ongoing community of former patients. Alumni meet, stay connected, and support each other after treatment ends.
- Benzodiazepines (Benzos)
- Prescription sedatives such as Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, and Ativan. Stopping them suddenly after long-term use can cause seizures, so they require a slow, medically supervised taper.
- CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
- A common talk therapy that teaches you to notice the thoughts that lead to substance use and replace them with healthier responses. One of the most studied and effective therapies for addiction.
- CIWA Scale
- A checklist nurses use to measure how severe alcohol withdrawal is (tremors, sweating, anxiety, and more). The score tells the medical team when and how much medication to give.
- Co-Occurring Disorder
- When someone has both an addiction and a mental health condition — like depression, anxiety, or PTSD — at the same time. Also called dual diagnosis. Treating both together works better than treating them separately.
- COWS Scale
- The opioid version of the CIWA scale — a checklist that measures how severe opioid withdrawal is so medication can be timed correctly.
- DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy)
- A therapy that teaches practical skills for handling intense emotions, tolerating distress, and improving relationships. Especially helpful when strong emotions drive substance use.
- Delirium Tremens (DTs)
- The most dangerous form of alcohol withdrawal — severe confusion, hallucinations, and unstable vital signs. It can be fatal without medical care, which is why heavy drinkers should never quit cold turkey alone.
- Detox (Medical Detox)
- The first stage of treatment: clearing a substance from the body under 24/7 medical supervision, usually over 5–10 days. Medications keep withdrawal safe and as comfortable as possible.
- Dual Diagnosis
- Another name for a co-occurring disorder — addiction plus a mental health condition, treated at the same time.
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
- A therapy for trauma and PTSD that uses guided eye movements to help the brain reprocess painful memories so they lose their grip. Often used when trauma is driving the addiction.
- Fentanyl
- A synthetic opioid roughly 50 times stronger than heroin. It is now mixed into most street drugs, which is why overdoses happen to people who did not know they were taking it.
- Inpatient / Residential Treatment
- Treatment where you live at the facility — usually 30 to 90 days — with therapy, structure, and support around the clock. "Inpatient" and "residential" are used interchangeably.
- Intervention
- A planned, structured conversation where family and friends ask a loved one to accept treatment, often guided by a professional interventionist.
- MAT (Medication-Assisted Treatment)
- Using FDA-approved medications — like Suboxone, Vivitrol, or naltrexone — together with therapy to treat opioid or alcohol addiction. It is evidence-based medicine, not "replacing one drug with another."
- Outpatient Treatment
- Treatment you attend during the day while living at home — from a few hours a week to full-day programs (called IOP and PHP). Usually the step after residential care.
- PHP / IOP
- Levels of outpatient care. PHP (Partial Hospitalization Program) is full days of treatment while sleeping at home or in sober living. IOP (Intensive Outpatient Program) is about 3 hours a day, several days a week.
- Polysubstance Use
- Regularly using more than one substance — for example alcohol plus benzodiazepines. Detox is planned differently because the withdrawals interact.
- Relapse
- Returning to substance use after a period of sobriety. It is common in recovery — relapse rates are similar to other chronic illnesses like asthma — and it means treatment should be adjusted, not that recovery failed.
- Relapse Prevention Plan
- A written plan made before leaving treatment: your personal warning signs, triggers to avoid, coping skills to use, and exactly who to call when cravings hit.
- Sober Living
- A structured, substance-free group home where people live after residential treatment. House rules, curfews, and drug testing provide accountability during early recovery.
- Suboxone (Buprenorphine)
- A medication that relieves opioid withdrawal and cravings without producing the same high. One of the most effective tools for opioid recovery.
- Taper
- Gradually reducing a drug dose over days or weeks instead of stopping suddenly. Required for safe benzodiazepine withdrawal.
- Tolerance
- When the body adapts to a substance so you need more to get the same effect. After detox, tolerance drops — which is why relapse right after treatment carries a high overdose risk.
- Trigger
- Anything — a person, place, feeling, or situation — that sparks a craving to use. Identifying triggers is a core part of therapy.
- 12-Step Program
- Peer support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) built around twelve guided steps. Free, available everywhere, and often part of aftercare.
- Withdrawal
- The physical and emotional symptoms that appear when a dependent body stops getting a substance — from flu-like discomfort to, for alcohol and benzos, medically dangerous complications.
- Dependence
- When the body has adapted to a substance and needs it to feel normal. Dependence is physical; addiction adds the loss of control. You can be dependent without being addicted (for example, on prescribed medication).