Alcoholmd Glossary Page - M

Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Association funded by the mothers of victims of drunk driving to fight it. (www.madd.org)

Pharmacy authorized to deliver prescription drugs through the mail.

Treatment imposed upon an alcoholic by the court.

A 12-step recovery group for individuals recovering from dependence on marijuana; based on the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous

Mean corpuscular volume average size of red blood cells, elevated in chronic alcoholism and certain other conditions

A government-administered health insurance program for individuals receiving Federally assisted income maintenance payments

A government-administered health insurance program for people 65 years of age and older, some people with disabilities who are under 65, and people with end-stage renal (kidney) disease.

Substances designed to fight alcoholism using different pathways: by relieving depression, creating unpleasant side-effects when taken with alcohol, easing the withdrawal from alcohol, or aiding in combating relapse to drinking.

A common side effect of alcohol intoxication is memory loss. The inability to remember the events surrounding the period of intoxication.

A common side effect of alcohol intoxication. Unability to remember the events surrounding the intoxication

A natural period in a womans life when menstruation ceases; this period of time has been associated with an increase in womens susceptibility to alcohol

The term for the way cells chemically change food so that it can be used to keep the body alive. It is a two-part process. One part is called catabolism-when the body uses food for energy. The other is called anabolism-when the body uses food to build or mend cells. Insulin is necessary for the metabolism of food. Alcohol is metabolized in the liver by a two-step enzyme system, 90% of alcohol ingested is metabolized by oxidation, 10% excreted directly by the kidneys and the lungs (See Breathalyzer) ; with tolerance, some individuals may acquire a faster metabolism ; in women, a lower alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) concentration have been suggested ; some deficiency in the enzyme system have been reported in Asian persons and may explain their tendency to avoid intoxication (See genetic markers).

A long acting orally administered once per day synthetic opioid with less potential dependence than heroin and the model maintenance treatment for opiate dependence.

A drug from the amphetamine group.

Frances drug control agency, la Mission Interministerielle de Lutte contre la Drogue et la Toxicomanie, establishes national drug control policy and coordinates activities

Any use of a prescription drug that varies from accepted medical practice

Beverages simulating alcoholic drinks, but without the alcoholic content

Drinking of alcoholic beverages "at levels which do not interfere with or threaten one's health, social relationships, daily obligations, or safety and the safety of others."

Guidelines established to indicate the level of alcohol above which there is an increased risk of problems. There is no level of alcohol ingestion that is safe in all circumstances.

A degradation system for neurotransmitters; to picture brain neurotransmitter activity in the cell, the blood platelets have been considered as a model; two subtypes of MAOA and B activity have been studied, (platelet contain the MAO B type), a reduced activity might be in favor of desinhibition, impulsive behavior and might predispose for psychoactive substance abuse.

A psychoactive drug that alters the mood of the individual taking it.

A receptor is a chemical group or molecular entity present on the cell surface or within the cell, which possesses an affinity for a specific chemical group or molecule. The mu receptor is a specific opioid receptor subtype postulated to possess specific activity.

An illness with multiple causes.