Behavioral Health Terms

noun a chronic disease characterized by a dependency on alcohol consumption

• Alcoholism is a serious medical condition characterized by an addiction to alcohol.
• Alcoholism can really take a toll on a person's health and relationships.
• Some people struggle with booze too much and end up with alcoholism.
• In a way, alcoholism can be like drowning in a sea of alcohol with no way out.

noun an uncontrollable craving for alcoholic drinks

• Dipsomania is a medical condition characterized by uncontrollable alcohol craving.
• She jokingly referred to her love for wine as dipsomania.
• Some people think dipsomania is just an excuse to drink excessively.
• His dipsomania for adventure led him to travel the world.

noun a failure to adjust properly to one's environment, such as a social or emotional maladjustment

• The therapist diagnosed the patient with maladjustment to his new job.
• She's been struggling with maladjustment ever since she moved to the city.
• His maladjustment to the rules of the game is holding the team back.
• The maladjustment of the gears in the machine caused it to malfunction.

adjective addicted is an adjective that describes someone who is physically or mentally dependent on a particular substance or activity.

• The patient has developed an addiction to prescription painkillers.
• She's completely addicted to that new TV series.
• He's totally hooked on playing video games all day.
• She's addicted to the thrill of taking risks.