Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 11/02) - When you read about addictions, there are a lot of words and meanings that relate only to this problem.

Here's a list of some of the terms you can expect to hear and read if you are ever involved in helping someone overcome an addiction. It was taken from A State of Emergency...Evaluation of Addiction Services in the NWT.

Addiction: Includes alcoholism and addiction to drugs and/or substances. In a few instances where the context dictates, addictions may refer to gambling and other process addictions.

AA/NA: Refers to Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.

Addictions Specialist: Refers to Health and Social Service Authority positions in addictions.

Aftercare: An integrated, post-hospitalization, continuing program of outpatient treatment and rehabilitation services provided by a treatment facility or other facility. The program is directed to maintenance of improvement, prevention of relapse and adjustment to the community.

Blended Program: Refers to NWT Community Addiction Programs that are inclusive of an alcohol and drug program and a mental health and/or family violence program.

Client: Refers to people who undergo treatment for addiction; denotes a respect for the person seeking help.

Community Addiction Worker: Refers to the current positions held by staff in many Community Addiction Programs, as this is how they are called in most NWT communities.

Concurrent Disorders: Refers to a combination of mental/emotional/psychiatric problems experienced together with the abuse of substances such as alcohol and/or other drugs.

Counselling: A process of defining, understanding and addressing a specific problem as well as advice and suggestions given by a person acknowledged as being an expert in one or more areas, such as marriage, dependency on substances or vocations.

Detoxification or Detox: Refers to procedures designed for the reduction or elimination of toxic substances in the body. Commonly referred to as detox.

Flooding: Uncontrolled and uncontrollable emotional expression.

Recovery: Refers to people in treatment.

Substances: Includes alcohol, inhalants/solvents, illicit drugs, over-the-counter medications and nicotine.

Treatment: Includes residential treatment and also the providing of services to a person with a condition such as an addiction.