Brain and Addiction
A disease involving continued use of a substance despite serious substance-related problems.
What is Addiction? or What is Substance Use Disorders?
Drugs such as alcohol or opiates that slow or hamper the central nervous system's functioning.
What are Depressants?
Physical or psychological symptoms experienced when not using a substance.
What is Withdrawal?
Psychological symptoms such as memory problems, sleep problems, stress sensitivity, and inability to think clearly that can occur up to 2 years after recovery from a substance use disorder.
What is Post Acute Withdrawal (PAW)?
A therapist helps change substance-related thoughts and behaviors and increase motivation for change.
What is Individual Therapy?
The organ of the body that loses its structure and functioning when drugs are used or abused consistently.
What is the Brain?
Drugs such as methamphetamine and cocaine that speed up the central nervous system's functioning and messages sent between the brain and body.
What are Stimulants?
A strong desire to use a substance.
What are Cravings?
Returning to regular use after a period of sobriety.
What is a Relapse?
Led by a therapist, members encourage and support one another in making meaningful life changes.
What is Group Therapy?
The neurotransmitter in the brain commonly affected by drugs?
What is Dopamine?
Drugs such as LSD that produce altered states of consciousness characterized by major alterations in thoughts, mood, and perceptions.
What are Hallucinogens?
Needing more of a substance to achieve the desired effect.
What is Tolerance?
Long term effects of this drug include extreme weight loss, pneumonia, movement disorders (like Parkinson's) dental problems, hyperthermia, insomnia, sudden heart failure or stroke.
What is Cocaine?
Meetings with peers who are also in recovery and participate in a social environment free from substances.
What are Support Groups?
Loss of control, social and occupational problems, risky use, and physical effects.
What are signs and symptoms of Addiction or Substance Use Disorder?
Stimulant medications that are legal and used to treat ADHD. An increasing number of people are abusing it without a prescription.
What is Adderall? or What is Ritalin?
Increased energy and feelings of euphoria followed by a "crash" and experiences of fatigue or depression.
What is Effects of Stimulant Use?
Long term effects of this drug include liver disease or liver failure, cancer, high blood pressure, cancer, and memory problems such as dementia.
What is Alcohol?
Medication used in specific cases for symptom management. Helps reduce symptoms of withdrawal and cravings.
What is Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT)? or What is Medication Assisted Recovery (MAR)?
The part of the brain that governs judgment, decision-making, learning, memory, and behavior control which loses it's functioning in active addiction, making seeking treatment and maintaining recovery more difficult.
What is the Prefrontal Cortex?
Drugs such as Xanax and Valium that are legal and prescribed to treat stress and anxiety disorders but still are addictive and often abused.
What are Benzodiazepines?
Floppy limbs, shallow breathing, clammy or cold skin, bluish fingertips or lips, and unconsciousness.
What are Signs of an Overdose?
A side effect of addiction and long-term use that is often overlooked which involves a loss of ability to take care of oneself and can result in malnutrition, poor hygiene, not engaging in preventative medical care, and risky sexual behaviors.
What is Neglected Self-Care?
Level of Care that treatment on Mater Hall currently involves.
What is Level 3.5? or What is inpatient treatment?