If you ever worry about whether your drug or alcohol use is harmful, you may want to take a look at and answer questions about addiction using a self-test. There are many self-tests online to search for. However, one developed by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) provides easy to understand questions that highlight when it might be necessary to get help.
Keep in mind that this test and other self-tests that you may take are not meant to provide you with a diagnosis of alcohol or drug dependence. Instead, they are meant to give you an idea about whether you should call for help. If you’ve been around addicts most of your life, you may not know what is harmful use of drugs or alcohol and what’s not. You may not have the perspective to identify that your alcohol or drug use has gotten out of control.
Getting Help for Drinking and Drug Use
The NCADD created a test for people to take on their own and to gather information about whether they may need to get help for their drinking or drug use. Below are some sample questions from the test:
- Do you ever feel guilty or bad about your drug use?
- Have you lost friends because of your drug use?
- Have you been in trouble at work because of drug use?
- Do you use more than one drug at a time?
Have you used prescription drugs at higher doses than recommended or needed to obtain a new prescription before the due date? - Are you always able to stop using drugs when you want to?
- Have you neglected your family because of your use of drugs?
- Have you ever had medical problems because of your drug use?
- Have you ever experienced withdrawal symptoms when you stopped taking drugs?
Of course, this type of test can also be taken on behalf of a friend or family member that you’re concerned about. You may have a daughter, son, or spouse for whom you can answer questions. This too can be helpful to determine whether you want to get support for your loved one or figure out how to best support them.
Seek Help From a Professional
However, again, it’s important to remember that taking a test cannot take the place of being seen by a doctor or mental health professional. The test is merely a tool to learn and gather more information. Then, you may decide to make an appointment with a therapist or doctor. At that point, he or she may diagnose you with an alcohol or drug dependence. And from there the right treatment plan can be developed.
However, if you have any concerns at all, it may be best to see a medical or mental health professional regardless. Addiction is an illness that can get worse over time. At first, regular consumption of alcohol and drugs can lead to a physical and/or psychological dependence. And in turn a dependence can contribute to the growing development of addiction, an illness that affects the brain in harmful ways. If you have any concerns about your alcohol or drug use, contact a medical or mental health professional today.