psychoactive drugs
Drugs that alter cognitive, emotional, and behavioral processes.
physiological dependence
Excessive or frequent consumption of a drug, resulting in drug tolerance or withdrawal.
psychological dependence
Intense desire for a drug and preoccupation with obtaining it.
substance abuse
A maladaptive pattern of substance use resulting in repeated and significant adverse consequences and maladaptive behaviors.
substance dependence
A condition indicated by a set of behavioral, physiological, and cognitive symptoms and impairments caused by continued or excessive use of a substance.
substance intoxication
A temporary condition in which, as a direct result of ingesting too much of a substance, individuals experience impaired judgment, altered thinking, pronounced mood changes, disturbed perception, or impaired motor behavior.
substance use disorder
A new diagnosis in the DSM-5 that combines substance abuse and substance dependence into one disorder; involves a problematic pattern of use of one of 10 categories of substances, leading to impairment or distress.
tolerance
A condition in which increasingly larger doses of a drug are required to achieve the same physical effect or subjective state.
withdrawal
A pattern of physical symptoms that results from discontinuing drug use once individuals have become physically dependent on it.
abstinence violation effect
A situation in which expectancies about using a drug may set off a chain of faulty decisions for an abuser that then increase the probability of resumed abuse.
alcohol expectancy
An individual's belief about the physical and psychological effects of alcohol.
alcoholic cirrhosis
A disease characterized by damaged liver cells, development of scar tissue, and the eventual inability of the liver to filter toxins from the blood.
alcoholism
A pattern of heavy drinking in which individuals lose control over drinking and become so dependent on alcohol that physical and mental health are jeopardized and social and occupational functioning are impaired.
antagonist
A drug that blocks the effects of neurotransmitters or other drugs.
benzodiazepines
A class of drugs derived from benzoic acid that are prescribed to alleviate anxiety and panic; includes Valium and Xanax.
blood alcohol concentration (BAC)
The amount of unmetabolized ethanol absorbed into the blood.
codependent
A person who protects, monitors, or censures a person with a substance use disorder, becoming enmeshed in the user's problems and preventing change in the substance use pattern.
community reinforcement
A treatment for substance use disorders in which social and environmental influences are used to help maintain sobriety.
delirium tremens (DTs)
A set of symptoms, including muscle tremors, hallucinations, and profuse sweating, that result from withdrawal from heavy alcohol use.
detoxification
A supervised period of "drying out" from an abused substance, often aided by drugs or other interventions to ease withdrawal symptoms and remedy nutritional deficits.
dopamine
A neurotransmitter that is prominent in several areas of the brain and is linked with several types of mental disorders.
endogenous opiate
A naturally occurring chemical, similar to an opioid drug, that produces a state of euphoria and reduces the experience of pain.
event-related potentials (ERPs)
Measured brain responses that occur as the direct result of a specific sensory, cognitive, or motor event.
glutamate
The body's most prominent neurotransmitter; the brain's main excitatory neurotransmitter, and also the precursor for GABA, the brain's main inhibitory neurotransmitter.
harm reduction
A range of public health policies designed to reduce the harmful consequences associated with various human behaviors, both legal and illegal. Harm reduction policies for alcohol use, for example, encourage drinking responsibly and try to reduce the harmf
oxidation
The process by which alcohol is converted to acetylaldehyde and metabolized.
pancreatitis
A condition in which cells in the pancreas are killed; commonly caused by heavy drinking.
relapse
The return or worsening of a disorder after recovery.
serotonin
A neurotransmitter that influences emotion, sleep, and behavioral control.
tension reduction hypothesis
The idea that drinking alcohol is reinforced by its ability to reduce tension, anxiety, anger, depression, and other unpleasant emotions.
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
A rare, alcohol- induced memory disorder in which affected individuals become confused and unable to coordinate voluntary muscle movements, and then lose memory for personal experiences.
barbiturates
A class of drugs that are addictive and produce relaxation and mild euphoria at low levels and have an effect similar to alcohol intoxication at higher levels.
amphetamines
A class of drugs that stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, increasing alertness and reducing appetite.
cocaine
A psychoactive, pain- reducing, stimulant drug.
contingency management
Deliberately presenting or withdrawing reinforcers or aversive stimuli following change-worthy behaviors.
nicotine
A stimulant drug found in the leaves of the tobacco plant and usually ingested by smoking.
pharmacogenetics
The study of inherited genetic differences in drug metabolic pathways that can affect individual responses to drugs, both in terms of therapeutic effects as well as adverse effects.
stimulant
A drug that has an excitatory effect on the central nervous system.
heroin
A white, odorless powder derived from morphine; it is one of the most addictive and commonly abused opioids.
methadone maintenance therapy
A treatment designed to help opioid-dependent persons avoid relapses by giving them methadone until they can achieve complete opioid independence.
opioid
An alkaloid containing opium or one of its derivatives, such as morphine, heroin, codeine, or methadone.
amotivational syndrome
A pattern of apathy and inability to meet personal or career goals that is linked to cannabis- induced alteration of brain functioning.
cannabinoids
Psychoactive ingredients of cannabis, the most important of which is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.
cannabis
A psychoactive drug derived from the hemp plant that causes a variety of intoxicating and hallucinatory effects.
hallucinogen
A drug that produces unusual perceptual experiences.
lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)
A hallucinogenic drug that excites the central nervous system.
mescaline
A hallucinogenic drug derived from the peyote cactus that causes effects similar to psilocybin: Substances found in several species of Mexican mushrooms that produce visual illusions, distorted body image, and depersonalization.
synesthesia
A drug-induced perceptual anomaly in which information from different senses is blended so that users "see" sounds or "feel" colors.
gambling disorder
A new disorder in the DSM-5 that involves persistent and recurrent problematic gambling behavior that leads to clinically significant impairment or distress.