The term opioid refers to any drug or chemical that attaches (like a key fits into a lock) to sites in the brain called opioid receptors. The human body makes its own opioids (called endorphins) but the opioids we are concerned with when we talk about opioid addiction are those that are manufactured in a laboratory or made by plants. When a person becomes dependent upon these drugs, they need opioid addiction treatment.

Intervention means to interfere in the affairs of another person in order to bring about a positive change. The common use today in the mental health field is to interfere in life of a person who is in a self-destructive cycle.