Substance Abuse - The Process of Clinical Evaluation

How is a substance abuse evaluation done? If you have ever wondered
whether or not there is a method to this sort of test, the following
article will shed a lot of light on the subject.

Essentially, counselors and doctors know whether or not a person has
been abusing a particular matter from the start. Still, in order to
recommend someone for clinical treatment, professionals must be able
to determine whether or not a person is truly addicted. So, how is a
substance abuse evaluation done? Most professionals use the same
method in order to find out. The type of test given to a person that
is suspected of addictive behavior is called a "CAGE" test, and this
type of test is a lot trickier than you may think.

Upon first glance, the CAGE test doesn't really appear all that
insightful or intrusive. However, someone that is highly trained will
look for certain responses to the follow questions. C: Has anyone ever
felt you should Cut down on your drinking? A: Have people Annoyed you
by criticizing your drinking? G: Have you ever felt Guilty about your
drinking? E: Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning
(Eye-opener) to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover? If a
patient response positively to one or more of these questions, they
are likely to have an abuse issue.

How is a substance abuse evaluation done when a professional uses the
MAST method? Interestingly, studies have shown that white females
simply do not respond all that well to the CAGE method, which has
prompted researches to devise the MAST method. The first MAST question
is: have you ever had a drinking problem? The second question is: when
was your last drink? For some reason, white females seem to respond
better to these questions than to any other method.

There are many other methods used in order to determine someone's
abuse level, and many of them are targeted specifically for one group
or another. As it turns out, those that are within certain cultural
groups respond differently to varying questions. Even if a person that
has an addiction knows about these methods before going in to see a
professional, counselors and doctors know when a person is telling the
truth.

Now that you know the answer to the original question (how is a
substance abuse evaluation done?), you may be able to ask yourself
these questions if you are have any concerns. However, it is not
recommended that you try these questions on any one that you suspect
of having an abuse problem. Instead, try and get them to see a
professional for best results.

Aazdak Alisimo writes about substance abuse recovery programs for
SubstanceAbuseRecoveryPrograms.com.

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