CATEGORY #1
A complex disease of the brain and body, often chronic in nature, involving continued, compulsive use of one or more substances despite serious health and social consequences.
Addiction
A physician who is board-certified as a psychiatrist and who has specialized training in addiction diagnosis, treatment and management.
Psychiatrist
An evaluation of a person’s medical, psychological and substance use history, current health status, symptoms of addiction, potential withdrawal syndrome and related health conditions.
Assessment
A less serious drug or alcohol disorder where substance use causes distress and problems.
Substance Abuse
A trained professional who gives advice.
Counselor
The process of safely removing addictive substances from the body. This process often requires the assistance of medical professionals and may involve the use of pharmaceutical therapies to guide people safely through withdrawal.
Detoxification
An addiction treatment venue that requires overnight stays usually in a hospital setting.
Inpatient (treatment)
A biological, physiological or environmental influence that can increase one's chances of having a disease such as addiction.
Risk Factor
An addiction treatment venue where the patient does not have to stay overnight. These services are typically offered in an office or clinic setting.
Outpatient (treatment)
A return to a state of illness after a period of being healthy, “disease-free,” without symptoms, or in a state of remission.
Relapse
A documented plan prescribed by the physician that describes a patient's condition and details the treatment to be provided, as well as the expected duration and outcome.
Treatment
A set of actions that an individual engages in repeatedly in an unhealthy way.
Compulsive Behaviors
Connecting individuals to support services and resources to help disease management.
Case Management
A process during which a health professional works with a family and/or friends to confront the addicted individual with their behavior, making it clear to the individual that they will no longer enable the addiction and help them accept treatment.
Intervention
Highly trained clinical professionals who help individuals enhance their coping skills, navigate high-risk situations, avoid triggers to use substances, control cravings, cope with lapses and enhance their motivation to change behavior.
Therapy
Specific types of individual, couples, family, and group therapies that have been statistically proven to be effective.
Psychosocial Therapy
Support programs that are a significant part of a comprehensive approach to caring for a patient with alcoholism or drug addiction. These meetings allow individuals with to seek and provide social, emotional and informational support within a group of their peers.
12-Step Meetings
A term used in reference to changing behaviors of individuals with the disease of addiction to achieve abstinence and encourage other socially acceptable behaviors.
Rehabilitation
A term often used to distinguish mental health and addiction from other physical health conditions.
Behavior Health
A diagnostic tool published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) that is used by clinicians to determine whether a patient meets clinical criteria for a substance use disorder and/or other psychiatric disorders.
DSM (Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)
A digital version of a paper chart that contains all of a patient's medical history.
EMR (Electronic Medical Record)
Treatment settings offer varying levels of intensity of services. Common services include: crisis, outpatient, inpatient rehabilitation and residential.
Levels of Care
The use of medications in combination with therapies to treat substance problems.
MAT (Medication Assisted Treatment)
A determination made by a trained health professional of the presence, stage and severity of addiction or substance abuse.
Diagnostic Evaluation
The use of medications to treat addiction that helps patients reduce cravings, withdrawal symptoms and function better in day-to-day life.
Pharmaceutical Therapy