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Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing

Key Terms

Psychiatric-Mental Health NursingKey Terms

Key Terms

addiction
associated with compulsive or uncontrolled use of one or more substances
alcohol intoxication
refers to problematic behavioral or psychological changes that develop during or shortly after alcohol ingestion
alcohol use disorder (AUD)
chronic medical condition that is categorized by difficulty stopping or controlling alcohol use, and by using alcohol to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms, even when it is causing negative social, occupational, or health-related consequences
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
offers social fellowship and a twelve-step program of action that was formulated based on members’ experiences of recovery from severe alcohol use disorders
binge drinking
consuming several standard drinks on one occasion in the past thirty days
dependence
characterized by the lack of the substance causing physical symptoms
detoxification
period of time during which the body rids itself of the substances
drug diversion
when medication is redirected from its intended destination for personal use, sale, or distribution to others; includes drug theft, use, or tampering (adulteration or substitution)
euphoric
experiencing an intense feeling of happiness
habituation
getting used to doing something—such as using a substance—and then not wanting to stop
harm reduction
focuses on meeting the client where they are and helping to prevent overdose, reduce transmission of infectious diseases, and improve the overall health of the client
heavy drinking
consumption of eight or more drinks per week for women and fifteen or more drinks per week for men or binge drinking on five or more of the previous thirty days
intoxication
disturbance in behavior or mental function during or after the consumption of a substance
MDMA
synthetic psychoactive drug more commonly known by the names Molly or Ecstasy
mutual aid (support) group
recovery supports in which members share their substance use problem and value learning from each other’s experiences as they focus on personal-change goals
Narcotics Anonymous
provides behavior modification with the support of others with lived experience
overdose
biological response of the human body when it has ingested a lethal or toxic amount of a substance
protective factors
shield people from developing a substance use disorder or addiction
stabilization
assisting a client through a period of acute detoxification and withdrawal so that they are medically stable and substance-free
stimulant
type of drug that causes the release of dopamine in the brain and is highly addictive because the flood of dopamine in the brain’s reward circuit strongly reinforces drug-taking behaviors
substance
psychoactive compound with the potential to cause health and social problems, including substance use disorder
substance use disorder (SUD)
repeated use of alcohol and/or drugs that significantly impairs a person’s health and results in the inability for them to meet major responsibilities at work, school, or home
tolerance
as a person continues to use substances, the neurotransmitters adapt and the person demonstrates a reduced response to the substance and requires more of the substance to feel an effect
withdrawal
when the reward control center begins to take over and the person begins to feel physical or emotional upset when they are not using a substance
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