Alcohol or drug addiction differs from substance abuse primarily in that addicts experience increased tolerance when using, and withdrawal symptoms when not using. That is, they require higher dosages of the substance to achieve the same high, and if they discontinue use even temporarily, they experience some symptoms of withdrawal. Addiction assessments can offer valuable information, and may indicate that treatment is needed.
Addiction
People have addictions to many mind-altering substances, including alcohol, stimulants such as cocaine and crystal methamphetamine, prescription drugs, and opiates such as heroin. Battling addiction is very difficult and usually requires professional help. Treatment may include psychotherapy, 12-step groups, inpatient rehabilitation, medical detoxification, outpatient treatment and group therapy. Depending on the type and severity of addiction, medication may be indicated as a part of treatment.
Function
Assessments and evaluations help to determine if the problem is alcohol or substance abuse, or alcohol or substance dependence, which is another word for addiction. All types of substance abuse treatment centers conduct an evaluation as the first step in treatment. This provides information about the level and type of care needed. People concerned about their alcohol or substance use can also use self-administered assessment tools to see if they have a serious problem. For some, just seeing that the assessment tool indicates a problem with drugs or alcohol motivates them to change their patterns of use. For others, it can signal that they need help battling their problems.
Types
Addiction evaluations and assessments are generally a relatively short set of yes-or-no questions. Assessments exist to evaluate if a loved one has an addiction, and assessments geared towards parents, such as the one produced by drugfree.org, help them to determine if their teenage children have a drug or alcohol problem. More commonly, assessments are designed for the person who has the problem. Items on the evaluations include asking about black-outs, guilt over drinking or using, effects on family and relationships, and regularity of use. While certain tests use language specifying drug use or alcohol use, they are sometimes used interchangeably.
Primary Assessments
Two of the most common assessments are the CAGE and the AA 20. The CAGE contains just four questions about alcohol use, with keywords spelling out CAGE. Questions include: "Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?" and "Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?" Someone answering "yes" to two or more questions may have an addiction. John Hopkins University developed an evaluation now commonly known as the AA 20 Questions. The questions include "Has your ambition decreased since drinking?" and "Do you drink alone?" Answering yes to three or more questions indicates a "strong possibility" of alcohol dependence. Drugfree.org offers a Drug Abuse Screening Test on its website, with 10 questions similar to those in the AA 20 and the CAGE.
Considerations
While useful, an assessment does not give a complete picture. For some, questions do not quite "fit," making a yes or no difficult. The idea is that an addiction assessment points in a direction, either of having an addiction or not. In all likelihood, further evaluation by a professional is needed when these assessments are self-administered. Most addicts harbor a strong resistance to acknowledging that they have a problem, and taking these assessments may evoke shame, anger and denial. However, knowing that a problem exists can help to break through some of these feelings to seek help or to change behaviors.
