Recovery Terms
Science, Medication, and Statistics
Which (AA) Step Is It?
Different Types of Meetings
Celebrities / Movies
100

This is someone who has worked a 12-step program, maintained sobriety, and mentors others on their recovery journey. 

Sponsor

100

An OTC medication used to reverse overdose from opioids. This can be administered by anyone during the overdose.

Narcan

100

Admitting that you are powerless and that your life had become unmanageable. What step is this?

Step 1

100

This 12-step group is focused on people struggling with narcotic or opioid addiction. 

NA (Narcotics Anonymous)

100

A movie about a hard-drinking New York journalist who takes her reputation as the life and soul of the party too far when she knocks over her sister's wedding cake and crashes the bridal limousine. When a court orders her into rehab for a month, she initially refuses, but eventually she begins to take her substance abuse seriously.

28 Days

200

This term describes the return to substance use after a period of abstinence. 

Relapse

200

This is a long-acting injectable form of naltrexone which blocks the effects of opioids and alcohol.

Vivitrol

200

Come to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. What step is this?

Step 2

200

This is a 12-step group focused mainly on individuals struggling with cocaine addiction. 

CA (Cocaine Anonymous)

200

This metallic man has been in recovery since 2003. He was introduced to drugs by his famous father and spent time in jail. He saw a resurgence in his popularity since entering recovery and staring in a series of hit movies.

Robert Downey Jr.
300

A stage, often in early recovery, that involves feelings of excitement, over-confidence, euphoria, and elation.

Pink Cloud

300

These hormones often referred to as the "feel-good" hormones, are released during activities that promote well-being, like exercise, laughter, creative expression, and socialization

Endorphins

300

Make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. What step is this?

Step 4

300

A mutual support program for individuals whose lives have been affected by someone else's drinking/using. 

Al-ANON

300

This famous British singer, songwriter, and pianist recently had a biopic made of his life. He was knighted by the Queen of England and is one of the best selling musical artists of all time. He went through recovery, built AA/NA meetings into his tour schedule, and has also sponsored other celebrities such as Eminem.

Elton John

400

This is someone whose behavior allows a loved one to continue self-destructive patterns of behavior. 

Enabler 

400

True or False:

According to NIDA (National Institute of Drug Abuse), nearly 50 million Americans experienced a substance use disorder within the past year.

True

400

Make a list of all persons we had harmed, and become willing to make amends to them all. What step is this?

Step 8

400

A nationwide, nonprofit organization that offers free support groups to individuals who desire to gain independence from any type of addictive behavior. It stands for Self-Management and Recovery Training. 

SMART Recovery

400

This famous actor starred in The Hangover and A Star is Born.  His struggled with alcohol abuse progressively worsened during his rise to fame.

Bradley Cooper

500

The use of medications in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies. This type of treatment is particularly helpful in those with opioid use disorders; however, this treatment can benefit anyone and be an aid in sustained recovery.

MAT (Medication-Assisted Treatment)

500

This neurotransmitter is closely linked to the mind's reward system and is commonly associated with pleasure and reinforcement.

Dopamine

500

Having a spiritual awakening as a result of these Steps, we try to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs. What step is this?

Step 12

500

This group is a 12-step group aimed at helping those struggling with methamphetamine addiction. 

CMA (Crystal Meth Anonymous)

500

A biopic of a famous country music legend and his rise to fame in Tennessee. While on tour, he meets the love of his life, singer June Carter. However, things take a turn when he becomes involved in drugs and his marriage to first wife, Vivian, begins to fall apart. June eventually helps him recover from his addiction and he proposes to her in front of a live audience. What is this Movie Title?

Walk the Line

600

What are the 3 stages of relapse?

1. emotional relapse 

2. mental relapse 

3. physical relapse

600

This is an injection used to treat opioid dependence in people who have received buccal or sublingual buprenorphine for at least 7 days. 

Sublocade

600

Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. What step is this?

Step 9

600

This group is aimed at supporting those with mental and emotional illness. 

EA (Emotions Anonymous)

600

This actress has celebrated over 20 years sober after being addicted to pain pills from a cosmetic surgery. Her film debut was in the 1978 movie "Halloween."

Jamie Lee Curtis

700

Withdrawal symptoms that continue after the initial acute withdrawal from substances. These symptoms can last for months or even years in cases of chronic substance use.

PAWS (Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome)

700

This highly advanced and complex area of the human brain is associated with decision-making and impulse control, and is strongly impacted by addiction and intoxication

Prefrontal Cortex

700

We are entirely ready to have (God/Higher Power) remove all these defects of character. What step is this?

Step 6

700

This is a 12-step support group aimed to help people who are struggling with unhealthy relationship patterns. 

CoDA (Codependents Anonymous)

700

Based on real events. It details the life of Nic Sheff, who has a severe addiction to crystal meth, and his father, who attempts to help him become sober. The movie focuses on the negative and heartbreaking impacts that drug abuse has on a person’s life and their loved ones and friends’ lives. It shows the continuous struggle and harsh reality of SUDs.

Beautiful Boy

800

A neurotransmitter that is naturally produced in the brain. It is often referred to as the “feel-good” hormone. It has an important role when it comes to understanding addiction and treating it.

Dopamine

800

This medication is used to treat alcohol use disorder and opioid use disorder by reducing cravings and helping control physiological dependence. It helps by blocking the effects that alcohol or opioids give by modifying how the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal glands interact.

Naltraxone

800

Admitted to higher power, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. What step is this?

Step 5

800

This group is a peer-led, non-theistic program that uses Buddhist principles and practices to recover from addiction. 

Recovery Dharma 

800

She made headlines in 1989 by going to rehab at 13 and announcing she was an addict. Coming from a famous acting family, she was only 6 when a box office hit launched her career as she worked alongside an... interesting alien character. She says she started drinking when she was 9, and quickly moved on to marijuana and cocaine. She spent her teenage years trying to overcome her notoriety and has since enjoyed success as an actress and producer.

Drew Barrymore

900

A term used to identify oneself as a member of AA, often used as a polite introduction or query in public settings when individuals in recovery meet others in recovery.

Friend of Bill

900

True or False:

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, North America has the highest rate of people under 25 years old in treatment. 

False

North America ranks 8th, with 18% of people under 25 in treatment, while South America ranks 1st with 49%

900

Continue to take personal inventory and when we are wrong promptly admitted it. What step is this?

Step 10

900

This group is a biblically based program to help those struggling with addiction through God's power and community. 

Celebrate Recovery

900

This mid-90’s crime-drama movie is based on an autobiography by Jim Carroll. It charts Carroll’s journey, a high school basketball player, as he turns to substance abuse to overcome the grief of a close friend dying. The film takes a close look at teenage addiction, how drug abuse can result in situations that lead to a prison sentence, and finally, how recovery can begin in prison.

Basketball Diaries

1000

This is a plan that outlines steps to prevent you from returning to old, unhealthy behaviors. Some components of this plan are: knowing your triggers, asking for help, or recognizing your risk.

Relapse Prevention Plan

1000

According to the US Health and Human Services, what is the annual economic impact of substance misuse estimated to be in the United States in 2023?

A - $78 Billion

B - $193 Billion

C - $249 Billion

D - $443 Billion

D

This is taking into account healthcare needs, lost work productivity, crime, research, costs to control, etc

1000

Humbly asked Him/Higher Power to remove our shortcomings. What step is this?

Step 7

1000

This is a 12-step alternative for people struggling with addiction. It is based on the writings of its founder James Christopher. This group does not adopt the concept of turning life over to a Higher Power, instead its approach is "sobriety priority" meaning that anyone can stay sober if they make sobriety their number one life priority. 

SOS (Secular Organizations for Sobriety)

1000

She was a 17-year-old actress on family-friendly TV when, she says, she first used cocaine. As her singing career took off, so did her problems with drugs and alcohol. In 2010, she first sought treatment for addiction, along with mental health issues including bipolar and eating disorders. She has addressed her ongoing recovery in interviews, on social media, and in her music.

Demi Lovato