DSST Substance Abuse key terms

A reduced response to a substance after repeated use, so that larger amounts are needed to produce the effect once achieved with smaller doses. It develops through metabolic, cellular, and learned adaptations.

A cluster of physical and psychological symptoms that appear when a substance is reduced or stopped after heavy or prolonged use. Symptoms are usually opposite in direction to the drug's main effects.

A pattern of use in which stopping or cutting down causes withdrawal symptoms or cravings, and use continues to avoid them. It may be physical, psychological, or both and does not always mean addiction.

An intense, often involuntary urge to use a substance. Cravings can be triggered by cues linked to past use, such as people, places, or moods, and often persist long after acute withdrawal ends.

A return to substance use after a period of abstinence or reduced use. It is treated as a common feature of a chronic condition rather than a personal or moral failure.

Tolerance to one substance that reduces the response to another drug in the same class. For example, heavy alcohol use can lower sensitivity to other central nervous system depressants such as benzodiazepines.

A person, place, object, or internal state repeatedly paired with substance use that later triggers craving or physiological responses on its own. Cue exposure is a known cause of relapse.

Drinking that raises blood alcohol concentration to roughly 0.08 g/dL or above, commonly about four or more drinks for women and five or more for men within about two hours.

A reference measure used to compare alcohol content across beverages. In the United States it contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol, roughly one 12-ounce beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits.

The percentage of alcohol in the bloodstream, usually written as grams per deciliter. It rises with the amount and speed of drinking and falls as the liver metabolizes alcohol at a fairly fixed rate.

Elimination at a constant rate regardless of how much drug is present, because the metabolizing enzymes are saturated. Alcohol follows this pattern, clearing at roughly one standard drink per hour in most adults.

Breakdown of an ingested drug by liver enzymes before it reaches the general circulation. It lowers the bioavailability of alcohol and many oral drugs and can be altered by liver damage or other substances.

The fraction of an administered dose that reaches the bloodstream unchanged and is available to act on the body. Route of use strongly affects it, which is why injecting or smoking a drug intensifies effects.

The path by which a substance enters the body, such as swallowing, snorting, smoking, or injecting. Route affects how fast the drug reaches the brain, its peak intensity, and its addiction risk.

Taking a substance as vapor or smoke into the lungs. The large lung surface and rich blood supply deliver the drug to the brain within seconds, producing rapid, intense effects and high dependence potential.

A drug that slows brain activity by enhancing inhibitory signaling, producing sedation, relaxation, and impaired coordination. Alcohol, benzodiazepines, and barbiturates belong to this class.

A class of prescription sedative-hypnotic drugs, such as diazepam and alprazolam, that enhance GABA activity. They carry risks of tolerance, dependence, and dangerous respiratory depression when combined with alcohol or opioids.

A drug that acts on opioid receptors to relieve pain and produce euphoria, including prescription analgesics such as oxycodone and illegal drugs such as heroin. Overdose suppresses breathing and can be fatal.

A short-acting opioid antagonist that rapidly reverses opioid overdose by displacing opioids from their receptors. It restores breathing but can precipitate acute withdrawal, so monitoring afterward is required.

Slowed or shallow breathing caused by drugs that suppress the brain's breathing drive, especially opioids, alcohol, and sedatives. It is the main mechanism of death in overdose and in combined use.

A drug that binds a receptor and activates it, mimicking the body's own signaling molecule. Full agonists produce the maximal effect, while partial agonists produce a lesser response.

A drug that binds a receptor without activating it and blocks other substances from acting there. Examples include naloxone at opioid receptors and naltrexone used in treatment.

A drug that activates a receptor but produces less than the full effect of a full agonist, while still blocking full agonists from binding. Buprenorphine is a partial agonist used to treat opioid use disorder.

A partial opioid agonist used in medication-assisted treatment of opioid use disorder. It reduces craving and withdrawal with a ceiling on respiratory depression, and it can precipitate withdrawal if given too soon after a full agonist.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid, the brain's main inhibitory neurotransmitter. Drugs that enhance GABA activity, such as alcohol and benzodiazepines, calm neural activity and cause sedation and impaired coordination.

A neurotransmitter central to reward, motivation, and movement. Most addictive drugs increase dopamine signaling in reward circuits, though dopamine alone does not fully explain addiction.

A dopamine circuit running from the ventral tegmental area to the nucleus accumbens that mediates reward and incentive salience. Repeated drug exposure alters it, contributing to craving and compulsive use.

The process by which a consequence strengthens a behavior. Drugs act as powerful reinforcers because their effects are immediate and reliably follow use, which drives repeated administration.

A chemical messenger released by a neuron that carries signals to another neuron or target cell across a synapse. Drugs often work by altering the release, reuptake, or receptor binding of neurotransmitters.

A protein on or in a cell that binds a specific signaling molecule and triggers a cellular response. Most psychoactive drugs act at receptors, and repeated stimulation can cause the brain to adapt.

A synthetic form of testosterone used medically for hormone deficiency and wasting conditions but misused for muscle growth. Misuse can cause liver damage, mood changes, and cardiovascular harm.

A drug sold without a prescription. Products such as cough syrups containing dextromethorphan and combination analgesics can be misused, and some ingredients cause liver damage or dependence at high doses.

A severe alcohol withdrawal syndrome marked by confusion, hallucinations, tremor, fever, and rapid heartbeat, typically beginning two to four days after heavy drinking stops. It can be fatal without medical treatment.

A clinical diagnosis describing problematic alcohol use that causes harm or distress, ranging from mild to severe. It is defined by a pattern of symptoms such as loss of control and continued use despite consequences.

A clinical diagnosis for problematic opioid use meeting defined criteria such as craving, tolerance, withdrawal, and use despite harm. Medications including buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone are effective treatments.

Public health strategies that reduce the dangers of substance use without requiring abstinence, such as naloxone distribution, sterile syringe programs, and supervised consumption sites. The goal is fewer overdoses and infections.

A brief, structured process used to identify people whose substance use may need further assessment. Validated tools such as AUDIT, CAGE, and DAST ask standardized questions and are not diagnostic on their own.

A more thorough evaluation following a positive screen that establishes the pattern, severity, and consequences of use, along with co-occurring conditions. It guides treatment planning and is usually done by a trained clinician.

A four-question alcohol screening tool asking about cutting down, annoyance at criticism, guilt about drinking, and needing an eye-opener. Two or more positive answers suggest a problem warranting further assessment.

The diagnostic framework that defines substance use disorders using eleven symptoms grouped into impaired control, social impairment, risky use, and pharmacological criteria. Severity is rated mild, moderate, or severe by symptom count.