Know Your Substances
Legal at 21, this depressant is the most commonly used substance in America
What is alcohol?
Doing "90 in 90" means attending this
What is 90 meetings in 90 days?
The brain's "feel-good" chemical that addiction hijacks
What is dopamine?
In withdrawal lingo, "DTs" stands for this dangerous alcohol withdrawal condition
What is delirium tremens?
Complete the classic recovery motto: "One day at a ____"
What is time?
This nasal spray reverses opioid overdoses and saves lives
What is Narcan (naloxone)?
The experienced member who guides you through the steps
What is a sponsor?
This decision-making brain region right behind your forehead is impaired by addiction
What is the prefrontal cortex?
The medically supervised process of clearing substances from the body, usually the first phase of treatment
What is detox (detoxification)?
This "fluffy" nickname describes the overconfident euphoria of early recovery
What is the pink cloud?
Needing more of a substance to get the same effect
What is tolerance?
HALT warns of these four relapse triggers
What are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired?
The brain's amazing ability to rewire itself in recovery
What is neuroplasticity?
These TWO substance classes have withdrawals that can cause deadly seizures, requiring medical supervision
What are alcohol and benzodiazepines?
"Terminal uniqueness" is the dangerous belief that this applies to you
What is being the exception (the rules don't apply to me)?
Synthetic opioid roughly 50x stronger than heroin, often found in counterfeit pills
What is fentanyl?
This 12-step fellowship was founded in Akron, Ohio in 1935
What is Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)?
This meditation practice of staying present is a core relapse-prevention tool
What is mindfulness?
Sold under the brand name Suboxone, this medication eases opioid withdrawal and cravings
What is buprenorphine?
Step 9 involves making these directly to people we harmed
What are amends?
This dissociative anesthetic, street name "Special K," is now also used clinically to treat depression
What is ketamine?
Coins or chips are handed out at meetings to celebrate these
What are sobriety milestones (clean time)?
This "stress hormone" spikes during withdrawal and early recovery
What is cortisol?
PAWS, the lingering withdrawal that can last months into recovery, stands for this
What is Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome?
This anonymous online/phone peer-support option is available 24/7 for people without local meetings
What is a recovery hotline (or online support group)?