Safe Harbor Recovery Center, Inc - Glossary of Terms

1. Alcoholism
   A progressive, hereditary disease characterized by identifiable signs including tolerance changes, memory blackouts, physiological dependence, and loss of control; with secondary psychological symptoms. (Simply alcohol + genetic susceptibility equals alcoholism).
    
2. Addiction
   A progressive, chronic process characterized by identifiable signs including withdrawal, loss of control and tolerance change; with secondary psychological symptoms.
    
3. Tolerance changes
   Early in the progression of alcoholism/addiction, the alcoholic/addict will have a greater tolerance for alcohol/drugs. He/she will have the ability to drink/use more, yet appearing less affected than his/her friends. Although all people who drink/use develop a tolerance, an alcoholic's/addict's tolerance increases rapidly and dramatically.
    
4. Physiological Dependence/Withdrawal
   An alcoholic's/addict's system adapts to the presence of alcohol/drugs. Thus the presence of a chemical becomes normal. When the alcohol/drug is removed from the system, the alcoholic becomes sick and dysfunctional Signs of withdrawal range from mild to central nervous system agitation, to visible shakes and tremors.
    
5. Loss of Control
   An alcoholic/addict experiencing loss of control is unable to stop once he/she begins drinking/using. Loss of control is completely unpredictable, increasing in frequency as the addiction progresses.
    
6. Blackouts
   Blackouts are periods of alcohol induced amnesia. Do not confuse blackouts with passing out (unconsciousness), or with foggy recollection due to intoxication and/or toxicity. Blackouts are caused by inadequate recording of events into the memory banks of the brain. The alcoholic appears to be functioning normally during the blackout period, thus giving no reason to suspect that the events will not be remembered.
    
7. Cross-addiction
   Mood altering drugs are addictive for anyone who uses them over a long period of time, even if taken as prescribed. However, the drug addiction process is more rapid for alcoholics.
    
8. Cross-tolerance
   In the event a physiological tolerance to alcohol has been established, there is a instantaneous ability to withstand the effects of other drugs that are pharmacologically similar to alcohol.
    
9. Recovery
   A complete continuous abstinence from alcohol and other mod altering drugs with participation in an ongoing therapeutic process to rebuild deteriorated emotional, mental, social and spiritual capabilities, plus nutritional restoration. (It is a myth that an alcoholic can be "cured" and return to normal drinking. A recovering alcoholic/addict is one living the above definition of recovery.)
    
10. Relapse
    A return to the use of alcohol or a mood altering drug. (Such use, particularly with alcohol, will reactivate the addiction process immediately and the addiction will rapidly progress to a stage well advanced from the stage at the onset of recovery.)