Glossary
Plain-language definitions of terms you'll find across GAREP.
- Abstinence
- Not using a substance or engaging in a behavior at all.
- Ambivalence
- Wanting to change and not wanting to change at the same time — a normal part of the process.
- Buprenorphine
- A medication for opioid use disorder that reduces craving and withdrawal. Learn more
- Co-occurring disorders
- Having a substance use disorder and another mental health condition at the same time. Learn more
- Contingency management
- A treatment that provides rewards for verified progress, such as drug-free tests. Learn more
- Craving
- A strong urge to use or engage in a behavior, often triggered by cues. Learn more
- Cue
- A person, place, feeling, or object that has become linked with use and can trigger craving.
- Delirium tremens
- A severe, potentially life-threatening form of alcohol withdrawal involving confusion and agitation. Learn more
- Detox (withdrawal management)
- Medical support through withdrawal. A first step, not complete treatment.
- Dopamine
- A brain chemical involved in motivation, learning, and movement — not simply pleasure. Learn more
- DSM-5-TR
- The American Psychiatric Association's diagnostic manual, fifth edition, text revision.
- Gambler's fallacy
- The false belief that a win is "due" after a run of losses. Learn more
- Harm reduction
- Practical strategies that reduce the harms of use, such as naloxone and sterile supplies.
- House edge
- The built-in mathematical advantage that makes a gambling game pay back less than is wagered over time. Learn more
- ICD-11
- The World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases, 11th revision.
- Methadone
- A long-acting medication for opioid use disorder, dispensed in the U.S. through certified programs. Learn more
- Mutual-help group
- A peer-led group, such as AA, NA, SMART Recovery, or Gamblers Anonymous.
- Naloxone
- A medicine that can reverse an opioid overdose. Available without a prescription in the U.S. Learn more
- Near miss
- A gambling loss that looks close to a win, which can increase the urge to keep playing. Learn more
- Physical dependence
- When the body has adapted to a substance and withdrawal occurs if it's stopped. Learn more
- Return to use (relapse)
- Using again after a period of not using. Learn more
- Self-exclusion
- A voluntary program to ban yourself from gambling venues or sites. Learn more
- Substance use disorder
- A clinical diagnosis for problematic use that is hard to control and continues despite harm. Learn more
- Tolerance
- Needing more of a substance to get the same effect. Learn more
- Withdrawal
- Symptoms that occur when a substance someone depends on is reduced or stopped. Learn more