| Course | PAC 115 Medical Terminology |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 6 |
| Paper type | Addiction terminology paper |
| Length | About 1,042 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Aspen University |
| Program | Psychology and Addiction Studies |
| Updated | September 2026 |
Free sample paper for PAC 115 Module 6
Words That Diagnose and Words That Judge: The Terminology of Addiction Studies
Student Name
Psychology and Addiction Studies Program, Aspen University
PAC 115: Medical Terminology
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Words That Diagnose and Words That Judge: The Terminology of Addiction Studies
Every field has its own vocabulary, and addiction studies has two layers of it. One layer is technical: the defined terms that describe diagnoses, symptoms and treatments. The other is social: the everyday words people use about those who use substances, which can either respect them or stigmatize them. This paper explains the core technical terms of addiction studies, including the criteria and severity levels for substance use disorder, and then reviews evidence that the words used about people affect how they are judged, ending with preferred language for records and conversation.
Substance Use Disorder
The current diagnostic term is substance use disorder, defined in the current edition of the American Psychiatric Association's diagnostic manual, the DSM-5-TR, with separate diagnoses for different substances, such as alcohol use disorder and opioid use disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2022). The diagnosis rests on 11 criteria grouped around impaired control, social impairment, risky use and physiological effects. Severity is graded by the number of criteria met: two or three indicate mild, four or five moderate and six or more severe. The older terms abuse and dependence were replaced in the fifth edition because they were inconsistent and stigmatizing.
Tolerance, Withdrawal and Craving
Tolerance means needing more of a substance to achieve the same effect, or getting less effect from the same amount. Withdrawal is the set of symptoms that follows reducing or stopping a substance after heavy use, and it differs by substance. Craving, a strong desire or urge to use, was added as a criterion in the fifth edition. Tolerance and withdrawal that occur only with medications taken as prescribed, such as opioids for pain, do not count toward the diagnosis, a distinction that prevents mislabeling patients.
Remission and Recurrence
The manual defines early remission as at least three but fewer than 12 months without meeting any criteria except craving, and sustained remission as 12 months or more (American Psychiatric Association, 2022). Many clinicians now prefer recurrence to relapse when use returns, because relapse can imply moral failure, while recurrence describes the return of symptoms in a chronic condition, as it would for diabetes or depression. Recovery is broader than remission; it describes a process of change toward health, wellness and a self-directed life.
Treatment Terms
Treatment vocabulary has also changed. Medications for opioid use disorder, often abbreviated MOUD, include methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone; the older phrase medication-assisted treatment is being replaced because it implied that medication was secondary to other treatment. Harm reduction refers to strategies that reduce the harms of substance use without requiring abstinence, such as naloxone to reverse overdoses and sterile syringes. Levels of care, from outpatient to residential, describe the intensity of treatment.
Why Words About People Matter
Language shapes judgment. Kelly and Westerhoff (2010) gave mental health professionals identical vignettes that differed in one phrase, describing the same man either as a substance abuser or as having a substance use disorder; the substance abuser version drew stronger agreement that he was to blame and should be punished. If trained clinicians respond this way, the effect on employers, families and the public is likely larger. Botticelli and Koh (2016) argued that changing the language of addiction, from terms that blame to terms that describe a medical condition, is part of treating addiction as a health problem.
Preferred Terms
The table lists common stigmatizing terms, preferred alternatives and the reason for each change.
| Instead of | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Addict, abuser, junkie | Person with a substance use disorder | Puts the person before the condition |
| Alcoholic | Person with alcohol use disorder | Describes a diagnosis rather than an identity |
| Substance abuse | Substance use or misuse; substance use disorder | Abuse implies willful wrongdoing |
| Clean or dirty (urine test) | Negative or positive; expected or unexpected result | Clean and dirty suggest moral judgment |
| Relapse | Recurrence or return to use | Frames use as a symptom of a chronic condition |
| Medication-assisted treatment | Medications for opioid use disorder | Medication is treatment, not an add-on |
| Former addict | Person in recovery | Recognizes ongoing growth |
Precise Language in Records
Records follow clients for years and are read by many people. Writing that a client had a positive urine drug screen for fentanyl is precise and neutral; writing that the client was dirty is imprecise and judgmental. Recording the specific criteria met supports an accurate severity rating. Describing behavior, such as the client missed two appointments, is more useful than labels, such as the client was noncompliant, which assume a reason.
Talking With Clients
Many clients use stigmatizing words about themselves, and counselors need not correct them abruptly. A counselor can model preferred language, explain what a diagnosis means in plain words and ask how the client prefers to describe their experience. Plain explanation matters here as elsewhere: people often misread medical phrasing (Gotlieb et al., 2022), and a diagnosis of moderate alcohol use disorder means little to a client until someone explains the criteria and what can be done.
Terms Across Settings
The vocabulary also varies by setting. Criminal justice records may still use substance abuse in statute names and court orders, insurance documents may use older diagnostic codes, and peer recovery communities have their own language, such as clean time or working a program. A counselor needs to understand all of these while using precise, person-first language in their own notes and speech. When quoting a document or a client, the original words should be kept and attributed; when writing in one's own voice, the preferred terms apply.
Consistency across a treatment team matters as well. If one clinician writes relapse and another recurrence, readers may wonder whether they mean different things. Many programs adopt a short language guide so that staff use the same terms, which improves clarity for everyone who reads the record, including the client.
Conclusion
The terminology of addiction studies combines defined clinical terms, such as substance use disorder with its criteria, severity levels and remission specifiers, with a social vocabulary that can either respect or stigmatize. Evidence shows that calling someone an abuser rather than a person with a disorder leads even professionals to judge them more harshly. Using precise diagnostic terms and person-first language in records and conversation is both more accurate and more humane.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.). American Psychiatric Association. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787
Botticelli, M. P., & Koh, H. K. (2016). Changing the language of addiction. JAMA, 316(13), 1361-1362. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2016.11874
Gotlieb, R., Praska, C., Hendrickson, M. A., Marmet, J., Charpentier, V., Hause, E., Allen, K. A., Lunos, S., & Pitt, M. B. (2022). Accuracy in patient understanding of common medical phrases. JAMA Network Open, 5(11), Article e2242972. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.42972
Kelly, J. F., & Westerhoff, C. M. (2010). Does it matter how we refer to individuals with substance-related conditions? A randomized study of two commonly used terms. International Journal of Drug Policy, 21(3), 202-207. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2009.10.010
Reading the PAC 115 Module 6 assignment instructions
Aspen's PAC 115 names addiction studies among the professions its terminology serves, and the sixth module usually asks students to master that field's vocabulary. Since the Module 6 prompt is shared only with the class, this example explains both clinical and social terms. Define diagnostic terms using the current diagnostic manual, including criteria and severity. Explain terms such as tolerance, withdrawal and remission precisely. Describe treatment vocabulary and why some older phrases are being replaced. Then address the language used about people, with evidence that words affect judgment rather than opinion alone. Provide practical alternatives. Close by explaining how precise, respectful language should appear in records and in conversations with clients.
How this PAC 115 Module 6 example is built
The paper opens by distinguishing the technical and social layers of addiction language. It explains substance use disorder, with its 11 criteria grouped by impaired control, social impairment, risky use and physiological effects, and its mild, moderate and severe levels. Tolerance, withdrawal and craving follow, with the rule that expected effects of prescribed medications do not count. Early and sustained remission are defined, along with the shift from relapse to recurrence. Treatment terms, including the move from medication-assisted treatment to MOUD, and harm reduction are explained. The evidence section reports the randomized study of the terms substance abuser and substance use disorder. A table of seven preferred terms, a section on terms across settings, and guidance for records and conversations close the paper.
Where the marks sit in the PAC 115 Module 6 rubric
Papers on addiction terminology are graded on accurate clinical definitions, correct use of the diagnostic manual, evidence-based discussion of language and practical guidance. This example states the criteria count, severity thresholds and remission time frames correctly, which instructors check first. Its APA sources are the DSM-5-TR, an International Journal of Drug Policy randomized study of two terms, a JAMA viewpoint on changing the language of addiction and a study of how the public understands medical phrasing. The table explains why each preferred term is better rather than only listing substitutions. Advice on quoting documents and clients in their own words, while writing one's own notes in preferred language, shows judgment suited to real practice.
Common PAC 115 Module 6 mistakes, and how to avoid them
A common weakness is using outdated terms such as substance abuse and dependence as current diagnoses. Use the current manual's terms and thresholds. Another is arguing for person-first language with opinion alone; cite the evidence that labels change judgment. Provide specific alternatives and explain each one. Remember that clients may use stigmatizing words about themselves, and describe how a counselor can model better language without correcting them harshly. Pay attention to consistency across a treatment team. Check the remission time frames carefully, since they are easy to confuse. If the diagnostic criteria feel overwhelming, a tutor can help you group them in a way that makes them easier to explain.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Aspen University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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PAC 115 Module 6 questions, answered
What does PAC 115 Module 6 usually ask for?
Aspen's PAC 115 relates medical terminology to addiction studies specifically, so a paper on the vocabulary of substance use disorders and respectful language is a typical sixth assignment. Follow your classroom prompt.
How is the severity of a substance use disorder determined?
By the number of the 11 diagnostic criteria met: two or three is mild, four or five is moderate and six or more is severe.
Why avoid the term substance abuser?
A randomized study found that professionals judged a person described as a substance abuser as more personally to blame and deserving of punishment than the same person described as having a disorder.
Where can I find a free PAC 115 Module 6 sample paper?
The whole paper is posted above, covering substance use disorder criteria, remission and treatment terms, with a table of stigmatizing terms and preferred alternatives.
What is the difference between early and sustained remission?
Early remission means at least three but fewer than 12 months without meeting criteria other than craving; sustained remission means 12 months or more.