Addiction & Mental Health Glossary

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition marked by persistent inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that interferes with daily functioning. It affects roughly 5% of children and 2.5% of adults worldwide, though many adult cases go undiagnosed, particularly in women, where symptoms present more as internal restlessness than overt hyperactivity.

Behavioural patterns are sequences of action that the brain automates through repetition (cue, routine, reward) until they fire with little or no conscious decision-making. In addiction, these patterns are what turn voluntary substance use into compulsive substance use: the behaviour runs on a loop reinforced thousands of times by chemical reward, stress relief, or the removal of physical discomfort.

Binge eating disorder (BED) is the most common eating disorder. It is defined by recurring episodes of consuming large quantities of food in a short period, accompanied by a sense of loss of control, without compensatory purging. A formal diagnosis requires at least one binge episode per week for three months, along with marked distress about the behaviour.

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis(the HPA axis) is the body’s central stress-response circuit. It runs a three-step hormonal cascade that ends with the adrenal glands releasing cortisol, which mobilizes energy, suppresses inflammation, and sharpens focus. Once the threat passes, cortisol feeds back to the brain to shut the cascade down.

Impulse control is the capacity to pause between an urge and an action, to recognize a craving, weigh the consequences, and choose not to act on it. When impulse control is intact, a person can feel the pull of a substance and still walk away. When it is compromised, the urge and the action collapse into a single event.

Mental health supports are the clinical services, therapies, and interventions designed to treat psychiatric conditions that exist alongside substance use disorders. In addiction treatment, they are the layer that determines if a person stays sober after discharge or cycles back into use.