Addiction Terms in Plain English
Treatment conversations can include unfamiliar words. Keep this glossary nearby when you read about care or talk with a provider. You can always ask someone to explain a term and what it means for you.
For: People seeking help or planning their own support · 3 PDF pages
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Words About Addiction and Substance Use
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Addiction | A treatable condition in which a person has difficulty controlling substance use or a rewarding behavior and continues despite harm. |
| Physical dependence | Your body has adapted to a substance. Reducing or stopping it can cause withdrawal. This can happen even when you take medicine as prescribed. |
| Tolerance | Over time, the same amount of a substance has less of a particular effect. |
| Withdrawal | Physical or mental symptoms that can happen when you reduce or stop a substance your body has adapted to. |
Words About Treatment
| Term | What to expect or ask |
|---|---|
| Assessment | A clinician asks about your substance use, health and daily life to help plan care. Ask who will do the assessment and how you will help choose the plan. |
| Outpatient | You attend appointments and leave the same day. Visits may include counseling or medication care. |
| Intensive outpatient (IOP) | Scheduled sessions that provide more support than routine office visits. You live outside the program. |
| Partial hospitalization (PHP) | An intensive daytime mental health program that can be an alternative to overnight psychiatric care. |
| Residential | You live at the treatment program. Ask what care is available there during the day and overnight. |
| Inpatient | You stay overnight with care available around the clock, often in a hospital or clinic. |
| Telehealth | Care by video, phone or another remote connection. Ask which appointments you will need to attend in person. |
Words About Treatment Programs
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| License | Permission from a state agency to provide certain services. The rules vary by state. |
| Accreditation | An outside organization has checked a program against its standards. This is separate from a state license. Check which location and services the accreditation covers. |
| Evidence-based treatment | Treatment supported by research. Ask which treatment the provider offers and how it could help with your concerns. |
A Word You Want Explained
- The word and where you heard it
- Include the sentence around it if that helps you remember.
- What it means for you
- Write the explanation in your own words and any question you still have.
Keep Learning
Sources
- NIDA: Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment, Third Edition
- SAMHSA: Treatment Types for Mental Health, Drugs and Alcohol
- SAMHSA: Finding Quality Treatment
- NIAAA: 10 Questions for Alcohol Treatment Programs
- Medicare: Intensive Outpatient Program Services
- Medicare: Partial Hospitalization
- NIDA: Treatment and Recovery
- Chamberlain SR, Lochner C, Stein DJ, et al. (2016). Behavioural addiction—A rising tide? European Neuropsychopharmacology.