Diagnosing substance abuse or addiction depends on determining more than simply physical symptoms of abuse. Our counselors use a series of both physical and behavioral diagnostic criteria to determine if you have an addiction. These criteria may include:
- Inability to meet your obligations and responsibilities with family, friends or at work
- Relationships with your family or friends are suffering and affected
- Health financial or legal issues occuring due to substance abuse or addiction
- Inability to cease using a substance or inability to stop participating in an unhealthy activity
- Physical tolerance to a substance
- Occurence of withdrawl symptoms when a substance or activity is dropped
- Using a substance more than intended (substance is taken in larger amounts over a larger amount of time than intended)
- A great deal of time is spent trying to obtain a substance, use it or recover from its effects
- Important social, occupational or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of the use
- Continued use despite physical or psychological problems exacerbated by the use of a substance
- Recurrent substance abuse use in situations that are physically hazardous
- Legal problems because of use
- If you think you may have a substance abuse issue, dependence or personality disorder
