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It isn’t always clear the extent to which substance use affects our lives. For example, you might go out for drinks with friends but find yourself unable to stop drinking, always overdoing it and feeling terrible the next day.
Or, perhaps you find yourself having a few after a stressful day at work – but this happens more than you’d like to admit.
Do these scenarios mean that you’re struggling with addiction or just social abuse? And how do you know when it’s time to take a serious look at addiction and consider treatment? An alcohol and drug assessment can help.
At Purpose Healing Center, with locations in Phoenix and Scottsdale, we use this substance abuse evaluation as a helpful tool in your recovery. The information is used to determine the extent to which drug or alcohol addiction has impacted your life. From there, it is used to develop a customized addiction treatment plan that offers the exact level of support needed for you to take back control of your life.
Keep reading to learn more about the evaluation, the types of questions to expect, and possible courses of treatment following the evaluation.
What is a Drug and Alcohol Evaluation for?
A substance abuse evaluation is often the first step in addiction treatment. It is a thorough assessment that allows your treatment team to assess the role that substance use plays in your life and determine whether you are struggling with addiction or just at risk.
Sometimes, screening tools are necessary because of how normalized an individual’s drug problem or alcoholism might seem in society.
A substance abuse evaluation can also be used in legal situations when a judge is trying to determine the best course of action for someone who is in legal trouble linked to drinking or drug use. It might be used as part of the legal system or in family court processes. Sometimes, an evaluation is suggested after failed alcohol or drug testing.
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Questions to Expect on a Drug and Alcohol Assessment
The assessment process can be intimidating if you’ve never experienced one. At first, a substance abuse screening can seem overwhelming. It can be hard to take a critical look at how drug or alcohol use has impacted your life or to admit that you are struggling.
During this in-person, semi-structured interview, it’s best that you remain open to the questions for a positive experience.
While the CAGE questionnaire or TIP (recommended by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) might be used during initial recommendations from a primary care provider, most alcohol and drug evaluation questions are more thorough. Some common questions to expect on a substance use assessment include:
- Have you ever wanted to cut back on drug or alcohol abuse, but found it difficult to stop?
- Do you find that it’s hard to cut yourself off after drinking or recreationally using drugs?
- Do you use alcohol or drugs for longer periods than you intend to?
- Do you experience withdrawal symptoms when you aren’t under the influence?
- Have you had any financial, legal, employment, or relationship problems caused by drug or alcohol addiction?
- Do you experience cravings for substance use when you are sober?
- Have any friends or family members expressed concern about drinking or drug use?
- Is a lot of your time spent finding alcohol or drugs, using them, and recovering from them?
It’s also common to be asked about your childhood, medical history, mental health, life stresses, and environment. All these play a role in determining the best next steps for your individualized substance abuse treatment.
Why It’s Important to Be Honest
Some of the questions asked during the alcohol and drug evaluation can feel uncomfortable. You might not be ready to reflect on how substance abuse has caused you to struggle or the way that it has consumed your life.
However, substance abuse assessments are meant to be used as a tool for recovery. You must be honest to help your treatment team determine your specific needs. We are not here to give you legal consequences, judge, or cause embarrassment.
The Three Levels of Addiction
Following the assessment, the addiction specialist you are working with compares your answers to the addiction severity index. An individual’s addiction struggles might be labeled as “social use,” “abuse,” or “dependence,” with dependence being the most severe. The level of addiction determines the intensity of treatment recommendations following a drug and alcohol evaluation.
Is Social Use a Problem?
There are many people who use alcohol or drugs recreationally. There is a fine line between regular social use and abuse, especially if this is a frequent occurrence. This means that you may be at-risk for excessive alcohol or drug use patterns, which can spiral into addiction.
Even though social use isn’t necessarily a problem, it can be helpful to monitor how frequently you are using drugs or alcohol. Put limits in place for yourself and try to follow them. If you struggle with following them, consider reaching out to addiction treatment centers like Purpose for another substance use evaluation or going cold turkey for a while and seeing if it helps.
Keep in mind that you do not need a substance use evaluation to decide to cut back or quit. We can support you through the process even without a diagnosis of substance use disorder.
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What Happens After an Alcohol and Drug Evaluation?
At our accredited substance abuse treatment center, our clients receive treatment recommendations on care following alcohol and drug and evaluation screening tools.
This might include a recommendation for inpatient rehab or outpatient rehabilitation programs, outpatient services, mental health care, case management, or anything else that will support you on the road to recovery.
For people who are struggling with social use, rather than full-blown dependence and addiction, we might recommendations for support and resources in your area. Brief intervention may be helpful. These can help you should you decide it’s time to quit, particularly during times of stress when social drinking might get out of hand.
Inpatient vs Outpatient Treatment Programs
The approach for alcohol and drug abuse treatment depends on the level of support that you need. If you are dealing with withdrawal symptoms after quitting, having trouble quitting on your own, have an existing mental health condition, or would just benefit from more support, inpatient treatment might be recommended.
Our accredited inpatient rehab program includes elements like medical detox for help managing withdrawal symptoms, individual and group counseling, recreational therapies, and other services. This higher level of support is ideal if your substance abuse evaluation shows a strong propensity for addiction.
For people who need more support than occasional meetings but not as intense care as is offered in residential, partial hospitalization programs or intensive outpatient programs may be recommended following a substance use evaluation. These programs are offered in sessions on various days of the week, making it easier to get help while still attending to life responsibilities.
Considering Dual Diagnosis or Mental Health Treatment
It’s not uncommon to be diagnosed with substance use disorders in addition to another mental health condition in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. An individual’s substance use evaluation often includes questions about mental health history for this reason.
For individuals with mental health concerns, it’s important to treat alcohol and drug use in addition to mental health. This offers the best possible treatment outcomes for lasting recovery.
Your Customized Treatment Plan
No two people experience alcohol or drug abuse the same way and we believe an effective treatment plan that will truly benefit an individual’s life should reflect that.
By offering specialized substance use disorder treatment based on an individual’s addiction history, strengths, and weaknesses, there is a better chance of lasting recovery. We use your substance abuse assessment to determine the best course of action.
Aftercare and Services
Our support does not stop following your comprehensive assessment and completing a program at our treatment facility. Our team at Purpose Healing ensures that you have follow-up appointments in place, can help with arranging sober living, case management, or other services, and can help you find support groups in your local area.
By offering true support, from start to finish, our clients have the best chance at better treatment outcomes.
Working with the Legal System
Some clients come to us following legal troubles like public intoxication, impaired driving of a motor vehicle, or even for custody evaluations. Sometimes, a court-ordered substance abuse treatment evaluation is used to help find direct evidence of psychiatric status or drug and alcohol use to make the proper recommendations.
The process for a court-ordered evaluation is very similar to a standard assessment, being a semi-structured interview where you’re asked questions about substance abuse. While we will make a written report and treatment recommendations to the court, our priority is always the client, regardless of legal history or legal status.
We want to ensure that you have the opportunity to achieve a better, healthier life free from the hold of controlled substances.
Get a Complimentary Substance Abuse Evaluation at Purpose
Setting up an alcohol and drug evaluation is really as easy as picking up the phone. We know that the earliest steps in recovery are some of the most intimidating, so our team at Purpose Healing aims to make this process easy for you.
One of our dedicated care team is waiting by the phone, ready to answer any questions you might have about our treatment programs, insurance, or setting up an appointment. Don’t hesitate to reach out today.
All calls are kept strictly confidential, so please reach out today for our support!
480-579-3319