These commonly used rehab terms and their meanings will help you navigate the sometimes confusing world of rehab. When you begin seeking help for an addiction, you will catch certain terms being used over and over. You might hear these words frequently enough that you gain a basic understanding of the definition, but sometimes phrases can misconstrue the actual meaning. If you are looking to overcome an addiction, or know someone who is struggling, understanding the vocabulary related to recovery is a great place to start.
Defining Rehab Terms
As my patients study addiction terms more thoroughly, they are always surprised to find how complex the human psyche is; there are many layers that build around an addiction. Here are some commonly used rehab terms and their meanings, and maybe there are a few you have never fully understood.
- Addiction:
- The condition of being physically or mentally attached to a substance or behavior so much that it occupies your time and causes you to compulsively repeat.
- Chronic relapse:
- The process by which someone repeatedly returns to an addiction after periods of abstinence or sobriety.
- Dependency:
- Consistent reliance on a person, things, drugs, or alcohol in order to function.
- Detox:
- A process or period of time where the body is cleansed and all drugs and alcohol are effectively out of the systems.
- Enabling:
- Allowing, aiding, or encouraging destructive behaviors in others by protecting them from the consequences of their actions.
- Intervention:
- The act of a group of people who care about an individual meeting together in a safe place to help the addict get help and enter a rehab or treatment program.
- Overdose:
- The use of a drug in quantities large enough to cause acute mental or physical effects. An overdose can be both accidental and lethal.
- Physical dependence:
- A state in which the body cannot function normally without continually using a drug or alcohol.
- Recovery:
- The process of eliminating or reducing destructive behaviors and beginning a path to a newer, healthier life.
- Relapse:
- To fall back into addiction and destructive behaviors after a period of sobriety or abstinence.
- Tolerance:
- The capacity of the body to adapt to current drug levels, thus requiring stronger doses to achieve the same effect.
- Withdrawal:
- The physical, mental, and emotional discomforts that someone who stops using drugs or alcohol experiences.
Applying Rehab Terms
As you learn the basic terms, you will see them placed together to describe more specific situations; such as alcohol addiction, alcohol abuse, alcohol relapse, and alcohol dependency. This will help you understand the areas most related to you. I always encourage my patients to research and study the terminology and science behind addiction.
Additionally, dependency, withdrawal symptoms, relapse, and addiction vary depending on the drug and the person using. So know what terms relate to you. Knowledge is power, and when it comes to recovery, you want to protect yourself with everything you’ve got.
Treatment at Morningside Recovery
Now that you know these popular rehab terms, you know what to look for when pursuing treatment. Morningside Recovery offers detox programs, inpatient rehab, outpatient rehab, a partial hospitalization program, an aftercare program, and more. Call us today at 855-631-2135 to learn more.
