Recovery Acronyms
What does DOC stand for?
Drug of Choice
True or False: Cravings always lead to relapse.
FALSE - Cravings can happen without someone acting on them.
What is it called when a person experiences physical or psychological symptoms after stopping or reducing a substance?
Withdrawal
To ground themselves, this person uses _______ to sit quietly and let distracting thoughts pass without reacting to them. What recovery tool could they use?
Box Breathing / Breathwork / Meditation
A strong desire to use
Craving / Urges
What does HALT stand for?
Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired
True or False: Someone can have a substance use disorder even if they maintain employment, relationships, and other responsibilities.
TRUE: A person can maintain work, relationships, and other responsibilities while still experiencing a substance use disorder; addiction does not always look the same or affect every area of a person's life in the same way.
What is it called when someone needs more of a substance over time to get the same effect?
Tolerance
Someone keeps repeating the same pattern before using and wants to understand what happened before, during, and after the behaviour. Which tool could they use?
Chain Analysis
A situation, thought, feeling, person, place, or experience that can bring up an urge to use.
Trigger
What does CBT stand for?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
True or False: Relapse means that the person's previous treatment was unsuccessful.
FALSE - A return to use does not automatically mean treatment failed; relapse can be treated as a learning opportunity. You only fail when you stop trying.
Which body system is responsible for many of the physical changes associated with the “fight, flight, or freeze” response?
Nervous System
Someone receives a message that makes them angry and immediately wants to react. They want to create some space between the emotion and their response. Which DBT skill could they use?
STOP/Pause skill
A person's process of making changes to improve their health and well-being after experiencing substance use problems.
Recovery
What does PAWS stand for in addiction recovery?
Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome
True or False: If someone has been sober for several years, they no longer need to think about relapse prevention.
FALSE - ongoing recovery supports and awareness of triggers can remain useful, although the type and intensity of support may change over time.
This neurotransmitter plays an important role in motivation, learning, and the brain's reward system.
Dopamine
Someone wants to add journaling to their routine but keeps forgetting. They decide to attach it to something they already do every day, like having their morning coffee. Which tool is this?
Habit Stacking
When problematic patterns shift from one substance or behaviour to another.
Cross-Addiction / Substitute-Addiction
What does SMART stand for when referring to goal-setting?
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound
True or False: Recovery only prioritizes stopping substance use.
FALSE - Recovery goes beyond the substance to address concerns involving health, relationships, purpose, and community.
This term describes the brain's ability to change and adapt by forming and strengthening neural connections.
Neuroplasticity
Someone is upset and wants to figure out whether they are making assumptions or whether their emotional response matches the situation. What recovery tool could they use?
Check the Facts
A relationship pattern where a person's well-being or behaviour becomes heavily focused on managing or controlling another person's problems.
Codependency