Barbiturate dependence

Barbiturate Dependence

Barbiturate Dependence (pronunciation: bar-bi-chur-ate de-pen-dence) is a medical condition characterized by a physical and psychological reliance on barbiturates, a class of drugs primarily used as sedatives and anesthetics.

Etymology

The term "barbiturate" is derived from the name of the chemical compound barbituric acid, which was first synthesized in 1864 by the German chemist Adolf von Baeyer. The suffix "-ate" is used to denote a salt or ester of an acid. The term "dependence" comes from the Latin word "dependere", which means "to hang from" or "to rely on".

Definition

Barbiturate dependence is a type of substance use disorder where an individual has developed a physical or psychological dependence on barbiturates. This dependence can lead to a range of negative health effects, including withdrawal symptoms if the drug use is reduced or stopped.

Symptoms

Symptoms of barbiturate dependence can include:

Tolerance, requiring higher doses of the drug to achieve the same effect
Withdrawal symptoms when the drug use is reduced or stopped, such as restlessness, insomnia, and seizures
Continued use of the drug despite negative consequences
Difficulty in controlling or reducing the use of the drug

Treatment

Treatment for barbiturate dependence typically involves a combination of medical and psychological interventions. This can include detoxification to manage withdrawal symptoms, cognitive-behavioral therapy to address the underlying issues contributing to the drug use, and medication-assisted treatment to reduce cravings and prevent relapse.

Related Terms

External links

Medical encyclopedia article on Barbiturate dependence
Wikipedia's article - Barbiturate dependence

This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.

Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski

Barbiturate dependence