Important Drug Addiction and Treatment Terminology

Last updated 7 months ago

When you enter addiction treatment, many factors play a role in your success, including support from family and friends, good healthcare professionals, and adequate information. If you or a loved one is going through addiction rehabilitation, you are consistently hearing terms like “addiction.” Find out what these terms include with this helpful list.

Addiction: Addiction is the repeated use of a substance. The user must be chronically or occasionally intoxicated by the substance, and develop such a compulsion to take it that he or she has a difficult time trying to cease or reduce usage. Continuing use of the substance is harmful to the user.
Codependent: A type of relationship between an addict and another person, who could be a friend, family member, or other close relation, where the addict’s behaviors are somehow supported by the other person. Codependence can slow down or prevent an addict’s recovery.
Intervention: Interventions happens when people in the addict’s life, sometimes with the help of a medical professional, acknowledge the addict’s behavior and persuade him or her to seek treatment.
Long-term Effects: The effects that accumulate from using a substance for an extended period of time. These effects often last even after the addict has stopped using the substance.
Withdrawal syndrome: A variety of symptoms that happen when a person tries to cease using a substance that he or she has been using as an addict. The type of physical symptoms depends on the substance the addict was using, and can be as diverse as nausea, aches, or hallucinations. The patient usually experiences psychological distress as well as physical symptoms.

Are you or a loved one ready to seek help for addiction? With the help of Sundown M. Ranch, you can overcome your substance abuse problem. We serve residents of the Yakima, Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, and Spokane, and other areas all over the state and country. Call us today at (509) 654-9033.