Club Drugs Glossary of Terms

1. OTC and Prescription Drug Abuse Slideshow Pictures
2. Health Risks of Alcohol Abuse Slideshow Pictures

Abdominal: Relating to the abdomen, the belly, that part of the body that contains all of ...

Abnormal: Outside the expected norm, or uncharacteristic of a particular patient.

Abstinence: The voluntary self-denial of food, drink, or sex. Today, abstinence most commo...

Acetate: A molecular ion derived from acetic acid. The formula of acetate is CH3COO-.

Acute: Of abrupt onset, in reference to a disease. Acute often also connotes an illness th...

Addiction: An uncontrollable craving, seeking, and use of a substance such as alcohol or a...

ADHD: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Adrenaline: A stress hormone produced within the adrenal gland that quickens the heart bea...

Amnesia: An impairment to or lack of memory. Antegrade amnesia refers to a lack of memory ...

Amphetamine: A drug that has a stimulant effect on the central nervous system that can be ...

Anesthesia: Loss of feeling or awareness, as when an anesthetic is administered before sur...

Anesthetic: A substance that causes lack of feeling or awareness, dulling pain to permit s...

Anxiety: A feeling of apprehension and fear, characterized by physical symptoms such as pa...

Arms: An appendage in anatomy and in clinical trials. See: Arm.

Benzodiazepines: A class of drugs that act as tranquilizers and are commonly used in the t...

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is...

Brain: The portion of the central nervous system that is located within the skull. It func...

Breathing: The process of respiration, during which air is inhaled into the lungs through ...

Bruxism: Grinding and gnashing of the teeth. Bruxism is due to clenching of the teeth othe...

Capsule: Capsule has many meanings in medicine including the following:

1. In medici...

Chest: The area of the body located between the neck and the abdomen. The chest contains t...

Chest pain: Pain in the chest that can be a result of many things, including angina, heart...

Chloral hydrate: A prescription sedative/hypnotic drug developed in the 19th century. The ...

Chronic: In medicine, lasting a long time. A chronic condition is one that lasts 3 months ...

Club drug: A drug such as MDMA (Ecstasy), GHB, Rohypnol, ketamine, methamphetamine, and LS...

Cocaine: A substance derived from the leaves of the coca plant that is a bitter, addictive...

Cognitive: Having to do with thought, judgment, or knowledge.

Cognitive therapy: A relatively short-term form of psychotherapy based on the concept that...

Coma: A state of deep, unarousable unconsciousness. A coma may occur as a result of head t...

Cough: A rapid expulsion of air from the lungs, typically in order to clear the lung airwa...

Cough suppressant: A drug used to control coughing, particularly with a dry, nagging, unpr...

Date rape: Rape of a woman by a man with whom she is acquainted. The rapist is usually the...

Dehydration: Excessive loss of body water. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract that ca...

Delirium: A sudden state of severe confusion and rapid changes in brain function, sometime...

Depression: An illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and that affects the way...

Detox: Short for detoxification, usually from an addictive drug such as alcohol or heroin....

Dextromethorphan: An oral cough suppressant available in the US without a prescription but...

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ...

Dilation: The process of enlargement, stretching, or expansion. The word "dilatation" mean...

Dissociation: In psychology and psychiatry, a perceived detachment of the mind from the em...

Dizziness: Painless head discomfort with many possible causes including disturbances of ...

Dysfunction: Difficult function or abnormal function.

Ecstasy: 1. A state of rapture and trancelike elation.
2. A street nam...

Emergency department: The department of a hospital responsible for the provision of medica...

Euphoria: Elevated mood. Euphoria is a desirable and natural occurrence when it results f...

Familial: A condition that tends to occur more often in family members than is expected by...

Family therapy: A type of psychotherapy designed to identify family patterns that contribu...

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr...

Gamma-OH: A European name for gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB), a colorless and odorless drug u...

Gastroenteritis: Inflammation of the stomach and the intestines. Gastroenteritis can cause...

Gastrointestinal: Adjective referring collectively to the stomach and small and large inte...

Gastrointestinal tract: The stomach and intestines. Abbreviated GI tract.

Generic: 1. The chemical name of a drug. 2. A term referring to the chemical...

Group therapy: 1) A type of psychiatric care in which several patients meet with one or m...

Hallucinogenic: 1. As an adjective: Producing hallucinations. From hallucino- + -ge...

Headache: A pain in the head with the pain being above the eyes or the ears, behind the he...

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

Heart failure: Inability of the heart to keep up with the demands on it and, specifically...

Heart rate: The number of heartbeats per unit of time, usually per minute. The heart rate ...

Herbal: 1. An adjective, referring to herbs, as in an herbal tea.
2. A...

Heroin: Semisynthetic drug derived from morphine. Discovered in 1874, it was introduced co...

High blood pressure: A repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceeding 140 over 90 mmHg. Chro...

HIV: Acronym for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, the cause of AIDS (acquired immunodefi...

Hydrocarbon: An organic compound composed exclusively of hydrogen and carbon. All hydrocar...

Hyperactivity: A higher than normal level of activity. An organ can be described as hyper...

Immunodeficiency: The inability to form a normal immune response. Immunodeficiency can be ...

Impulsivity: Inclined to act on impulse rather than thought. People who are overly impulsi...

Inhalant: 1. Generally, any breathable chemical vapor.
2. Specificall...

Inpatient: A patient whose care requires a stay in a hospital. As opposed to an outpatient...

Intervention: The act of intervening, interfering or interceding with the intent of modify...

Kidney: One of a pair of organs located in the right and left side of the abdomen. The kid...

Lethargy: Abnormal drowsiness, stupor.

Life support: 1. A therapy or device designed to preserve someone's life when an es...

Liver: The largest solid organ in the body, situated in the upper part of the abdomen on t...

Low blood pressure: Any blood pressure that is below the normal expected for an individua...

Lungs: The lungs are a pair of breathing organs located with the chest which remove carbon...

Malnutrition: A term used to refer to any condition in which the body does not receive eno...

Manic: In a state of mania.

Marijuana: A common street and recreational drug that comes from the marijuana plant: the ...

MDMA: Abbreviation for 3-4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine. See: Ecstasy.

Memory: 1. The ability to recover information about past events or knowledge. ...

Methylenedioxymethamphetamine: 3-4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), best known on the...

Morphine: A powerful narcotic agent that has strong analgesic (pain relief) action and oth...

Motor: Something that produces or refers to motion. For example, a motor neuron is a nerve...

MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging.

Muscle: Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. T...

Muscle relaxant: Muscle relaxant is a term usually used to refer to skeletal muscle relaxa...

Nausea: Stomach queasiness, the urge to vomit. Nausea can be brought on by many causes, in...

Neocortex: The newer portion of the cerebral cortex that serves as the center of higher me...

Nerve: A bundle of fibers that uses electrical and chemical signals to transmit sensory an...

Neuron: A nerve cell that receives and sends electrical signals over long distances within...

Neurotransmitter: A chemical that is released from a nerve cell which thereby transmits an...

NIDA: Stands for the National Institute on Drug Abuse, one of the National Institutes of H...

Nose: The external midline projection from the face. The purpose of the nose is to warm, c...

Onset: In medicine, the first appearance of the signs or symptoms of an illness as, for ex...

Opium: An addictive narcotic drug that is derived from the unripe seedpods of the opium po...

Organic: 1. A chemical compound that contains carbon.
2. Related to a...

Outpatient: A patient who is not hospitalized, but instead comes to a physician?s office, ...

Oxygen: The odorless gas that is present in the air and necessary to maintain life. Oxygen...

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa...

Palpitations: Unpleasant sensations of irregular and/or forceful beating of the heart. In ...

PCP: Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

Poisoning: Taking a substance that is injurious to health or can cause death. Poisoning i...

Potassium: The major positive ion (cation) found inside cells. The chemical notation for p...

Preoperative: Before surgery. As opposed to postoperative, after surgery.

Prescription: A physician's order for the preparation and administration of a drug or dev...

Prevalence: The proportion of individuals in a population having a disease or characterist...

Primary care: A patient's main source for regular medical care, ideally providing continui...

Prognosis: The forecast of the probable outcome or course of a disease; the patient's chan...

Progressive: Increasing in scope or severity, advancing, or going forward. For example, a ...

Psychedelic: 1. Hallucinogenic, distorting perception and awareness.
2./...

Psychiatric: Pertaining to or within the purview of psychiatry, the medical specialty conc...

Psychosis: In the general sense, a mental illness that markedly interferes with a person'...

Pupil: The opening of the iris. The pupil may appear to open (dilate) and close (constrict...

Rape: Forced sexual intercourse; sexual assault; sexual intercourse between an adult and a...

Rectum: The last 6 to 8 inches of the large intestine. The rectum stores solid waste until...

Recur: To occur again; to return. For example, a symptom, sign, or disease can recur.

Rehab: An abbreviation for rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation: The process of helping a person who has suffered an illness or injury rest...

Relapse: The return of signs and symptoms of a disease after a remission.

Relaxant: Something that relaxes, relieves, or reduces tension. For example, a muscle rela...

Remission: Disappearance of the signs and symptoms of cancer or other disease. A remission...

Respiratory: Having to do with respiration.

Robo: Street name for the cough syrup Robitussin which contains dextromethorphan (DXM).

Rohypnol: The trade name for flunitrazepam, which has been abused as a 'date rape' drug. R...

Roofies: Street term for Rohypnol.

Runny nose: The production of extra mucus by the nose. Rhinorrhea is the medical term for ...

Rupture: A break or tear in any organ (such as the spleen) or soft tissue (such as the ach...

Saline: Relating to salt. As an adjective, "saline" means "salty, containing salt." As a n...

Scan: As a noun, the data or image obtained from the examination of organs or regions of...

Schizophrenia: One of several brain diseases whose symptoms may include loss of personalit...

Sedative: A drug that calms a patient, easing agitation and permitting sleep. Sedatives ge...

Seizure: Uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain, which may produce a physical conv...

Sensation: In medicine and physiology, sensation refers to the registration of an incoming...

Sensitivity: 1. In psychology, the quality of being sensitive. As, for example, sen...

Serotonin: A neurotransmitter that is involved in the transmission of nerve impulses. Sero...

Sexually transmitted disease: Any disease transmitted by sexual contact; caused by microo...

Sleep: The body's rest cycle.

Sodium: The major positive ion (cation) in the fluid surrounding cells in the body. The ch...

Stage: As regards cancer, the extent of a cancer, especially whether the disease has spre...

Substance: 1. Material with particular features.
2. The material that...

Substance abuse: The excessive use of a substance, especially alcohol or a drug. (There is...

Surgery: The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or inj...

Sweating: The act of secreting fluid from the skin by the sweat (sudoriferous) glands. The...

Synapse: A specialized junction at which a neural cell (neuron) communicates with a target...

Synthesis: Putting together different entities to make a whole which is new and different....

Tension: 1) The pressure within a vessel, such as blood pressure: the pressure within t...

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Tiredness: See: Tired.

Tobacco: A South American herb (Nicotiana tabacum) whose leaves contain 2 to 8 percent nic...

Tranquilizer: In pharmacology, a drug that calms and relieves anxiety. The first tranquili...

Unsteadiness: Loss of one's equilibrium in regard to the environment, often with a feelin...

Urine: Liquid waste produced by the kidneys. Urine is a clear, transparent fluid that norm...

Ventilator: A machine that mechanically assists a patient in the exchange of oxygen and ca...

Vessel: A tube in the body that carries fluids. Examples of vessels are blood vessels and ...

Virus: A microorganism that is smaller than a bacterium that cannot grow or reproduce apar...

Vitamin K: One of two naturally occurring fat-soluble vitamins (vitamin K1 and vitamin K2)...

Weight loss: Weight loss is a decrease in body weight resulting from either voluntary (die...

Withdrawal symptoms: Abnormal physical or psychological features that follow the abrupt di...

Youth: The time between childhood and maturity.