Addiction
This term describes a condition where a person feels unable to stop using a substance or doing an activity, even when it causes harm to their health or daily life.
What is addiction?
Mental health concerns can affect a person’s ability to complete daily activities such as bathing, dressing, eating, and managing routines.
What are activities of daily living (ADLs)?
This term describes conditions that affect a person’s thinking, mood, emotions, or behaviour and can interfere with daily functioning and well‑being.
What is a mental health disorder?
In support work, this term refers to any observable actions or responses such as what a person does or says, non‑verbal actions, or reactions to people or situations and is viewed as a way a person communicates needs, feelings, or discomfort when words are difficult to use.
What is behaviour?
This role requires CCAs to follow the individualized care plan created by the nursing team, provide support exactly as outlined, observe and report changes in behaviour or mood, and maintain consistent care to reduce stress and triggers.
What is the CCA’s role in supporting clients with addictive behaviours?
Repeated actions that a person feels strong urges to continue because they bring pleasure or relief yet become difficult to control are known as this.
What is addictive behaviour?
Difficulty concentrating, making decisions, or coping with stress can interfere with this important part of a person’s daily life.
What is everyday functioning?
This mental health disorder can affect how a person thinks, feels, and perceives reality, and may include symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking
What is schizophrenia?
Behavioural expressions are commonly seen in people living with dementia, mental health conditions, or this type of difficulty that affects how they share their thoughts or needs.
What are communication difficulties?
This simple tool is used in dementia care, mental health, and behaviour support to understand why a behaviour happens and what it may be communicating.
What is the ABC model?
One common sign of addiction is continuing a behavior despite negative effects on these three areas: health, relationships, and this part of everyday functioning.
What is daily life?
Stigma, lack of support, and untreated mental health conditions can prevent individuals from seeking help and may worsen this important aspect of overall health.
What is mental well‑being?
One attribute of mental illness is difficulty with this cognitive skill, which affects a person’s ability to think clearly or make sound decisions.
What is impaired judgment or thinking?
In support work, behaviours such as pacing, calling out, aggression, or resistance to care are understood as this rather than intentional misbehaviour especially when a person cannot clearly express themselves with words.
What is communication of unmet needs?
Being rushed during care, pain, hunger, cold, or a change in routine are examples of this part of the ABC model.
What are antecedents?
Addiction is not just about substances like drugs or alcohol; it can also involve activities such as gambling, gaming, or this common digital habit.
What is social media use?
Changes in sleep, appetite, mood, or social engagement may be early indicators of this type of health concern and should be observed and reported by support workers.
What are mental health challenges?
People experiencing panic disorder may feel this overwhelming fear during an attack, often described as a sense of losing control or believing something terrible is about to happen.
What is a sense of impending doom?
When supporting a person who shows behavioural expressions, workers are encouraged to identify these, which may include stress, environmental changes, or unmet needs.
What are triggers?
This level of need includes basic survival requirements such as food, water, sleep, comfort, and elimination, and when unmet may lead to behaviours like restlessness, yelling, pacing, aggression, or withdrawal.
What are physiological needs?
Smoking, vaping, alcohol or drug use; gambling; excessive gaming; constant social media checking; compulsive shopping; and overeating for comfort are all examples of this type of behaviour, where a person feels a strong urge to continue despite negative effects.
What are addictive behaviours?
Support workers play an important role in mental health by observing changes in mood or behaviour and sharing this information through this essential process.
What is reporting and documenting?
Cycles of binge eating followed by behaviors such as vomiting or laxative use are symptoms of this eating disorder.
What is bulimia nervosa?
Rather than being considered “problems,” behavioural expressions are understood as this—signals that a person uses to express something they cannot put into words.
What are messages?
This approach focuses on supporting a person’s physical, emotional, social, and cognitive well‑being while respecting their individuality and needs.
What is person‑centered care?