Recovery glossary

Short, plain definitions with links to related articles on RecoveryRoad.

1

12-step program

Peer fellowship models such as AA or NA that use steps, meetings, and sponsorship.

A

Abstinence

Choosing not to use a substance or engage in a target behavior. It is one recovery path, not the only measure of progress.

Abstinence violation effect

The belief that one slip ruins all progress, which can fuel a full relapse. Compassionate reframing helps.

Accountability partner

A trusted person who checks in on goals without shaming. Different from a therapist or sponsor.

Acute withdrawal

The first days to weeks after stopping a substance when physical symptoms are often strongest.

Al-Anon

Support for families and friends affected by someone else's drinking.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD)

A medical condition marked by impaired control over drinking, compulsive use, or negative emotional states when not drinking.

B

Binge drinking

A pattern of drinking that brings blood alcohol to 0.08% or higher, often four or more drinks in about two hours for women and five for men.

Binge eating

Eating large amounts with loss of control. Distinct from occasional overeating.

Binge gambling

Intense gambling episodes after abstinence or stress, often with chasing losses.

Blackout

Gaps in memory from heavy drinking, not sleep. A sign of dangerous consumption levels.

Boredom trigger

Restless emptiness that pushes people toward quick dopamine hits like scrolling, betting, or snacking.

Buprenorphine

A medication for opioid use disorder that reduces cravings and withdrawal. Requires a qualified prescriber.

C

CBT

Cognitive behavioral therapy helps you notice thought patterns that drive use and practice new responses.

Chasing losses

Gambling more to recover money already lost. A core cycle in gambling disorder.

Co-occurring disorders

When substance use and mental health conditions happen together. Integrated treatment works best.

Cold turkey

Stopping a substance abruptly without tapering. Can be dangerous for alcohol, benzodiazepines, and some other drugs.

Compulsion

A strong drive to act despite knowing harm. Common in behavioral addictions.

Coping skills

Concrete actions that replace use: walking, calling someone, journaling, or breathing exercises.

Craving

An intense urge to use. Cravings often rise and fall in waves rather than staying constant.

Crisis line

24/7 phone or text support for suicidal thoughts or emotional emergencies, such as 988 in the US.

Cross addiction

Switching from one addictive behavior to another instead of addressing underlying triggers.

D

Delirium tremens (DTs)

A severe alcohol withdrawal syndrome that can include confusion, fever, and seizures. It is a medical emergency.

Denial

Minimizing or rationalizing use. Often loosens when consequences become undeniable.

Detoxification (detox)

Medically supervised clearing of substances from the body. Not a substitute for long-term recovery support.

Disulfiram (Antabuse)

A medication that causes unpleasant reactions if alcohol is consumed. Used only with medical supervision.

Dopamine

A brain chemical involved in reward and motivation. Addictive behaviors often hijack dopamine pathways.

Dopamine detox

A popular term for reducing overstimulating activities. Not a clinical protocol but a metaphor for reset.

Dry drunk

An outdated term for abstinence without emotional or behavioral change. Many clinicians prefer describing specific symptoms instead.

E

Emotional sobriety

Learning to tolerate feelings without numbing. A long-term goal beyond abstinence alone.

Enabling

Protecting someone from natural consequences of use in ways that prolong the problem.

Euphoric recall

Romanticizing only the good parts of past use while forgetting pain and consequences.

Evidence-based treatment

Care backed by research, such as medications for opioid use disorder, CBT, and motivational interviewing.

F

Fentanyl

A potent synthetic opioid linked to a large share of overdose deaths. Street supply is often unpredictable.

Food addiction

A debated but useful frame for compulsive eating patterns tied to reward circuits.

G

Gambling disorder

Repeated gambling that causes significant distress or impairment. It is recognized in the DSM as a behavioral addiction.

Gaming disorder

Impaired control over gaming with priority over other life areas, listed in ICD-11.

Gray area drinking

Drinking that is not severe by clinical standards but still causes concern or harm.

H

Habit loop

Cue, routine, and reward. Recovery rewires the routine while managing cues.

Halo effect (recovery)

Early optimism after quitting that fades when routine stress returns.

Harm reduction

Strategies that reduce negative consequences of use without requiring immediate abstinence, such as naloxone access.

High-risk situation

Contexts where relapse probability rises, such as parties, payday, or loneliness.

Hitting rock bottom

A personal low point that motivates change. Not everyone needs a dramatic crisis to start recovery.

I

Identity shift

Moving from I am an addict to I am someone who does not drink today.

Insomnia in recovery

Sleep disruption is common for weeks. Sleep hygiene and medical advice help.

Intervention

A structured conversation to encourage treatment. Should be planned to avoid shame and coercion.

L

Lapse

A brief return to use that does not necessarily become a full relapse.

Loneliness trigger

Isolation that drives use for connection or numbness.

M

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT)

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) combines FDA-approved medications with counseling to treat opioid or alcohol use disorders. Common MAT medications include buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone for opioids, and naltrexone or acamprosate for alcohol. MAT reduces overdose death risk and is an evidence-based treatment, not a moral shortcut.

Methadone

A long-acting opioid medication used in approved treatment programs for opioid use disorder.

Mindfulness

Paying attention to the present moment without judgment. Used to ride out urges and reduce automatic reactions.

Moderation management

Programs that target reduced drinking rather than abstinence. Not appropriate for all AUD severities.

Motivational interviewing

A counseling style that strengthens your own reasons for change.

N

Naloxone (Narcan)

A medication that reverses opioid overdose. Available in nasal spray form in many US states without a prescription.

Naltrexone

A medication that blocks opioid effects and can reduce alcohol craving in some people.

Naltrexone for alcohol

Can reduce rewarding effects of alcohol in some patients when prescribed.

Nicotine dependence

Physical and psychological reliance on nicotine from cigarettes, vapes, or pouches.

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)

Patches, gum, or lozenges that deliver controlled nicotine to ease withdrawal while quitting smoking.

Nicotine withdrawal

Irritability, cravings, and sleep changes after stopping nicotine. Symptoms often peak in the first week.

O

On-device privacy

Storing recovery data locally on your phone instead of a public social feed.

Opioid tolerance

Needing more opioid to get the same effect. Raises overdose risk after periods of abstinence.

Opioid use disorder

Problematic opioid use causing distress or impairment, including prescription misuse and illicit opioids.

Overdose

Taking more of a substance than the body can handle. Opioid overdose slows breathing and can be fatal without naloxone.

P

PAWS

Post-acute withdrawal syndrome: mood, sleep, and energy symptoms that can linger for weeks or months after acute withdrawal.

Porn compulsivity

Repeated porn use despite harm or failed attempts to cut back.

Post-acute gambling urges

Financial stress and boredom can trigger urges long after stopping gambling.

R

Recovery capital

Resources that support recovery: health, housing, relationships, purpose, and community.

Recovery roadmap

A personal plan for triggers, support people, and daily practices.

Relapse

Returning to previous use patterns after a period of change. Often treated as data for adjusting support, not moral failure.

Rock bottom

See hitting rock bottom. Language varies; focus on safety and next steps.

S

Screen time

Total time on devices. Useful metric when gaming or social apps drive compulsive use.

Self-compassion

Treating yourself with kindness after slips. Reduces shame-driven relapse.

Shame cycle

Use, shame, isolation, and more use. Breaking the cycle often starts with one honest conversation.

Sleep hygiene

Consistent bedtime, dark room, and no late caffeine to support recovery sleep.

SMART Recovery

SMART Recovery is a secular mutual-aid program that uses cognitive and behavioral tools for addiction recovery. It is a common AA alternative with free meetings online and in person.

Sober curious

Exploring life with less or no alcohol without necessarily identifying as alcoholic.

Sobriety counter

A sobriety counter (also called a sober day counter) tracks time since a quit date for alcohol, drugs, nicotine, or behavioral recovery. Counters help visualize progress but do not replace medical care or therapy.

Sobriety date

The day you count as your start of abstinence or change. You can reset it after a slip.

Stability score

A RecoveryRoad metric that blends mood, urges, and patterns into one private trend line on your device.

Stigma

Negative judgment about addiction that keeps people from seeking help.

Stimulant crash

Fatigue and low mood after stopping stimulants like cocaine or methamphetamine.

Substance use disorder (SUD)

A clinical term for problematic use of alcohol or drugs with criteria for mild, moderate, or severe.

Support group

Peer meetings for shared experience. Formats include 12-step, SMART Recovery, and others.

T

Taper

Gradually reducing dose under medical guidance instead of stopping all at once.

Telehealth for recovery

Video or phone therapy and prescribing for SUD treatment from home.

Tolerance

Needing more of a substance for the same effect. A sign of physiological adaptation.

Trigger

A person, place, feeling, or time linked to past use. Mapping triggers helps you plan if-then responses.

U

Urge delay

Waiting ten to twenty minutes before acting on an urge. Often the urge weakens.

Urge surfing

Observing an urge like a wave that builds and passes without acting on it.

V

Vaping

Inhaling vaporized nicotine or cannabis. Nicotine vaping can maintain dependence.

Varenicline

A prescription medication that reduces nicotine craving and blocks rewarding effects of smoking.

W

White-knuckle sobriety

Abstaining through willpower alone without support or skills. Often exhausting long term.

Withdrawal

Physical and psychological symptoms after stopping or reducing a substance or compulsive behavior.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a slip and a relapse?

A slip is generally a single, brief return to use, while a relapse is a return to previous patterns of use over a longer stretch. The practical difference is what happens next: a slip that is named and addressed quickly often stays a slip. Both are treated as information for adjusting support rather than as moral failure.

What is PAWS in recovery?

PAWS stands for post-acute withdrawal syndrome: mood, sleep, and energy symptoms that can linger for weeks or months after acute withdrawal has ended. It is a common reason people feel worse at one or two months sober than they expected to, and it tends to come in waves that gradually shorten and soften over time.

What does harm reduction mean?

Harm reduction means strategies that reduce the damage caused by substance use without requiring immediate abstinence, such as naloxone access, safer-use supplies, or cutting down rather than stopping outright. It is a pragmatic approach aimed at keeping people alive and healthier, and it is compatible with abstinence as a longer-term goal rather than opposed to it.

What is a sobriety date?

A sobriety date is the day you count as the start of your abstinence or change, and it is what sobriety counters measure from. You can reset it after a slip, and resetting does not delete the skills, insight, or progress you built beforehand. Some people keep the original date and track slips separately instead.

What is white-knuckle sobriety?

White-knuckle sobriety means abstaining through willpower alone, without support, skills, or any change to the circumstances that drive use. It can work in the short term but is usually exhausting to sustain, which is why it often precedes relapse. The alternative is not more willpower but more support and better tools.