Terminology

abscesses 

swollen areas of tissue that are full of pus

aetiology 

reasons for damage

ADHD 

attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - a group of behavioural symptoms that include inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness

anoxia 

an absence or near absence of oxygen

aphrodisiac 

a substance that enhances sexual desires

arrhythmia 

variation or irregularity of the rhythm of the heart

bagged 

fumes inhaled from a plastic bag

bomb 

usually, amphetamines wrapped in a cigarette paper and swallowed

bruxia 

teeth grinding

CBD 

cannibidiol

central nervous system 

brain and spinal cord

CIA 

the US Central Intelligence Agency

CNS 

the Central Nervous System, upon which certain drugs act

cross-tolerance 

this means that when you develop a tolerance to a drug you will also have a tolerance to closely related drugs - but not to totally dissimilar drugs. The more closely related the two drugs are the stronger the cross tolerance effect will be

depersonalisation 

feeling detached from yourself, observing yourself and your feelings and thoughts as if they belong to someone else

DVT 

deep venous thrombosis

dysphoria 

experiencing little or no joy in their life

dysthymia 

experiencing little or no joy in their life

empathogenic 

a class of psychoactive drugs that produce experiences of emotional communion, oneness, relatedness, emotional openness - that is, empathy or sympathy

FDA 

US Food and Drug Administration

flashback 

experiencing moments of a trip a considerable period after using the drug. Flashbacks can occur weeks, months or rarely years after the actual drug experience. While lasting only a short time, such flashbacks can be disorientating and scary

GABA 

gamma-amino butyric acid

gangrene 

death of body tissue, usually a finger, toe or a limb

GP 

General Practitioner, a community-based doctor

gynaecomastia 

male breast enlargement

half-life 

the amount of time required for the amount of something to fall to half its initial value

hallucinations 

where someone sees, hears, smells, tastes or feels things that don't exist outside their mind

hallucinogens 

A substance that produces as a main effect perceptual distortions, especially visual and auditory. The effects can also extend beyond perceptions to changes of thought, mood and personality integration (self-awareness).The term is somewhat misleading as the hallucinogenic substances do not generally cause true hallucinations (i.e. Sensory perceptions in the absence of external stimuli). However, the term is widely accepted by the scientific community

huffed 

inhalant-soaked rag, sock, or roll of toilet paper in the mouth

hypercapnia 

greater than the normal level of carbon dioxide in the blood

hypersomnia 

excessive daytime sleepiness

hypertension 

high blood pressure

incontinence 

uncontrolled urination

insomnia 

difficulty in going to sleep or in getting enough sleep

LD50 

the amount of a material, given all at once, which causes the death of 50% (one half) of a group of test animals. The LD50 is one way to measure the short-term poisoning potential (acute toxicity) of a material

local anaesthetic 

involves numbing an area of the body using a type of medication called a local anaesthetic

myocardial infarction 

a heart attack

nystagmus 

rapid involuntary rhythmic movement of the eyes

optical sliding 

described as a physical effect which inhibits the coordination and control of one's eyes by suppressing their ability to keep them still. This results in the orientation of one's eyes continuously moving in a variety of directions and the sensation of not being able to stare motionless at any particular point becoming present

paranoia 

suspicion, distrust or fear of other people

PIED 

performance and image enhancing drugs

placebo 

A substance that has positive effects as a result of a patient's perception that it is beneficial rather than as a result of a causative ingredient. It is an inactive substance or preparation used as a control in an experiment or test to determine the effectiveness of a medicinal drug

polydrug use 

the use of several different drugs over a short period of time, or two or more drugs used simultaneously

psychonauts 

a person who explores, experiences, and studies their subconscious and subjective reality through the use of a range drugs

psychotic 

this is a mental state when you see or hear things which aren't there and have delusions

quality of life 

the overall enjoyment of life, a sense of well-being, and the ability to carry out routine activities

R 

the unit of South African currency - the Rand

ROA 

route of administration - how the drug gets into your body

stimulant 

a drug that acts on the Central Nervous System, increasing some rates of function such as heart-rate

SSDS 

sudden sniffing death syndrome

styptic 

a drug used to staunch bleeding

synaesthesia 

a condition in which normally separate senses are fused, in which one type of stimulation evokes the sensation of another, as when the hearing of a sound produces the visualisation of a colour

tachycardia 

rapid pulse rate

teratogenic 

having the ability to disturb the growth and development of an embryo or foetus

trisma 

jaw clenching

VSA 

stands for Volatile Substance Abuse. It has previously been called "Glue Sniffing" and "Solvent Abuse". The VSA term is now used to include all the volatile substances including gases such as butane and Aerosols which can be "sniffed" for their effects