Maladaptive Behavior Vocabulary & Key Concepts

Vocabulary flashcards generated from the provided lecture notes covering substance use disorders, eating disorders, abuse and neglect, personality disorders, and clinical management/pharmacology.

Maladaptive Behavior

Negative responses to internal and external stressors that interfere with functioning.

Addiction

Severe substance use disorders; a chronic brain disease that has the potential for both recurrence (relapse) and recovery.

Ataxia

A sign that a substance is disrupting the part of the brain that coordinates movement, called the cerebellum.

Binge Drinking

Consuming several standard drinks on one occasion in the past 30 days, defined for males as drinking five or more standard alcoholic drinks on one occasion, and for females as drinking four or more standard drinks on one occasion.

Blackouts

A period of memory loss where a person stays awake and active, but their brain fails to record what happens because of heavy substance use.

Delirium Tremens (DTs)

A rapid-onset, fluctuating disturbance of attention and cognition, sometimes associated with hallucinations, due to alcohol withdrawal. DTs typically begin between 72 and 96 hours after the client's last drink and may feature agitation and extreme autonomic hyperactivity.

Dependence

A condition that develops with chronic use of a substance that causes a person to experience withdrawal symptoms if the substance is suddenly stopped.

Detoxification

The medical process of safely clearing drugs or alcohol from the body while managing acute withdrawal symptoms.

Euphoria

An intense, artificial rush of pleasure, happiness, and well-being caused by drugs or alcohol.

Intoxication

A disturbance in behavior or mental function during or after the consumption of a substance.

Nystagmus

A key physical sign of central nervous system impairment or intoxication.

Overdose

When a person takes a toxic or fatal amount of a substance that overwhelms the body's ability to handle it safely.

Recovery

A process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.

Relapse

The return to substance use after a significant period of abstinence.

Remission

The status of individuals with severe substance use disorders who overcome their disorder with effective treatment and regain health and social function.

Substance

A psychoactive compound with the potential to cause health and social problems, including substance use disorders. Categorized as alcohol, illicit drugs, tobacco products, and over-the-counter drugs.

Substance Misuse

The use of alcohol or drugs in a manner, situation, amount, or frequency that could cause harm to the user or to those around them.

Tolerance

A need for progressively increased amounts of a substance to achieve the desired effect or a diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of a substance.

Withdrawal

A group of physical and mental symptoms that can range from mild to life-threatening when a person suddenly stops using a substance.

Amenorrhea

The absence of a menstrual period.

Body Mass Index (BMI)

A person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters.

Compensatory Behavior

Any action a person takes to "undo" or make up for the food they have eaten.

Emaciation

A condition of extreme thinness.

Lanugo

Growth of fine hair all over the body.

Purging Episode

Behavior in eating disorders used to compensate for overeating, such as forced vomiting, excessive use of laxatives, or diuretics.

Refeeding Syndrome

A potentially fatal complication for any client with negligible food intake for more than five days that involves hypophosphatemia; serious sodium and fluid imbalances; changes in glucose, protein, and fat metabolism; thiamine deficiency; hypokalemia; and hypomagnesaemia.

Chain of Evidence

The chronological, documented paper trail that tracks the collection, handling, transfer, analysis, and secure storage of evidence from the moment it is found until it is presented in court.

Child Abuse

Any recent act, or failure to act, by a parent or caregiver that results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or imminent risk of serious harm to a child under the age of 18.

Elder Abuse

An intentional act or failure to act that causes or creates a risk of harm to an older adult aged 60 or older.

Emotional Abuse

Verbal or nonverbal behaviors that inflict anguish, mental pain, fear, or distress, such as humiliation, disrespect, threats, harassment, and isolation.

Financial Abuse

The illegal, unauthorized, or improper use of money, benefits, belongings, property, or assets for the benefit of someone other than the individual.

Intimate Partner Violence

Abuse or aggression that occurs in a romantic relationship, which can include physical violence, sexual violence, stalking, or psychological aggression.

Mandatory Reporter

Nurses and other professionals required by state law to report suspected neglect or abuse of children, adults at risk, and the elderly seen in the course of their professional duties.

Neglect

When a parent or caregiver fails, refuses, or is unable, for reasons other than poverty, to provide necessary care, food, clothing, or medical/dental care, seriously endangering physical health.

Physical Abuse

Injury inflicted on a child or vulnerable adult by other than accidental means, including lacerations, fractures, burns, internal injuries, or severe bruising.

SANE Nurse

Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner; an RN with special training to care for patients who experience abuse, neglect, or sexual assault.

Sexual Abuse

Sexual intercourse or touching; sexual exploitation; human trafficking; forced viewing of sexual activity; or encouraging prostitution with a child or vulnerable adult.

Stalking

A repeated pattern of fixated, unwanted behavior that causes a person to feel fear, terror, or severe emotional distress.

Body Illusion

A perception that one's own body is significantly different from its actual configuration, such as feeling as if levitating while lying in bed.

Dissociative Symptoms

The experience of detachment or feeling as if one is outside one's body with loss of memory.

Ideas of Reference

False beliefs that coincidental events relate to oneself, such as believing strangers laughing in a store are laughing at them.

Magical Thinking

The idea that one can influence the outcome of specific events by doing something that has no bearing on the circumstances.

Personality

A relatively stable pattern of thinking, feeling, and behaving that evolves over a person's lifetime and is unique to everyone.

Personality Traits

Characteristics, whether considered good or bad, that make up one's personality.

Self-mutilation

The deliberate destruction or alteration of body tissue without the conscious intent to die.

Splitting

A pattern of unstable and intense personal relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation.

Disulfiram

A maintenance medication for alcohol misuse that inhibits aldehyde dehydrogenase, causing a toxic accumulation of acetaldehyde to discourage alcohol ingestion.

Thiamine

A dietary supplement administered during alcohol withdrawal to prevent Wernicke's encephalopathy.

Buprenorphine

A maintenance medication that binds to opiate receptors in the CNS to reduce withdrawal symptoms and lessen the desire for opiate use.