When to Get Help for Substance Abuse

If you have been struggling with alcohol abuse or substance abuse, you’re not alone.

Data from SAMHSA’s most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that 40 million over-12s in the United States have substance abuse disorder, with 28.5 million diagnosed with alcohol use disorder.

Perhaps more disturbing than this dramatic increase in alcoholism and drug addiction over the past year is the huge treatment gap. Most estimates suggest only 10% of those requiring addiction treatment receive any specialized therapy.

Both alcohol use disorder and substance use disorder are defined by NIDA (the National Institute on Drug Use and Health) as chronic and relapsing brain conditions. While there is no cure for addiction, it is treatable.

For many, though, denial stops the recovery journey from getting underway. Others harbor the misconception that it is vital to wait for rock bottom before taking action, while some imagine addiction treatment is unaffordable.

Fortunately, research shows that most mild and some moderate addictions respond just as well to intensive outpatient treatment as residential rehab. This allows many people with addictions to engage with therapy without the restrictions or costs of a month or more in an inpatient treatment facility.

How can you determine whether it’s time for you to reach out and get some help with substance abuse before it’s too late and you end up calling an addiction hotline?

Do I Need Help for Substance Abuse?

Substance abuse can involve any of the following:

• Alcohol
• Prescription medications like opioids and benzodiazepines
• Illicit drugs

Sometimes, people use more than one of these substances at the same time.

If you find your use of any substance is triggering negative outcomes in your life and interpersonal relationships, you may have developed a substance use disorder (SUD). Substance use disorder is a clinical descriptor for drug addiction.

SUDs are diagnosed per the criteria in the APA’s diagnostic tool, DSM-5. DSM-5 is the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Diagnosis is made according to the number of the following symptoms present:

1. Spending disproportionate amounts of time obtaining and using substances, as well as recovering from the effects.
2. Desire to moderate or discontinue use with no ability to achieve this.
3. A loss of control over the use of substances.
4. Failure to meet responsibilities at home, work, or school due to substance use.
5. Substance use is causing problems in your interpersonal relationships.
6. Experiencing cravings for substances as the effects wear off.
7. Loss of interest in favored activities.
8. Using substances in dangerous situations – while driving, for instance.
9. Withdrawal symptoms manifest in the absence of the substance.
10. Tolerance building so you require more of the substance to deliver the same effects.
11. Continuing to use substances despite these adverse outcomes.

SUD is diagnosed as follows:

• Mild: 2 or 3 criteria
• Moderate: 4 or 5 criteria
• Severe: 6+ criteria

If you schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider and you are subsequently diagnosed with a substance use disorder, you first need to address any physical dependence by detoxing. Medically supervised detox can streamline severe drug withdrawal, with FDA-approved medications reducing the severity of withdrawal symptoms and cravings.

It is also crucial to tackle the psychological and behavioral aspects of addiction. This is achieved through psychotherapy and counseling sessions.

Any co-occurring mental health conditions should be diagnosed and treated simultaneously.

Perhaps you are still unsure whether you need professional therapy to bounce back from abusive patterns of substance use. We’ll highlight some situations calling for prompt engagement with rehab services to round out.

Consider Getting Immediate Help for Substance Abuse In These Scenarios

• Substance use is your driving focus in life
• You have tried and failed to stop using drugs more than once
• Addiction co-occurs with a mental health disorder

Substance use is your driving focus in life

One of the most obvious red flags for addiction is when the drug in question is your overriding focus.

If thoughts of using drugs dominate your days and you spend more and more time using drugs, obtaining drugs, and recovering from drug abuse, you may already have substance use disorder.

Left untreated, the problem will get worse. Take decisive action if you discover the center of your life shifting radically toward substance use.

You have tried and failed to stop using drugs more than once

Substance use disorder is a chronic condition. Addiction is characterized by spells of recovery and relapse.

One of the criteria listed in DSM-5 for substance use disorder is the inability to moderate or discontinue the use of the substance in question. If you have repeatedly tried to quit or cut down your use of an addictive substance, it’s worth seeking prompt professional assistance.

Addiction co-occurs with a mental health disorder

Data from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) shows that 9.5 million adults in the US have a dual diagnosis. Dual diagnosis involves the co-occurrence of addiction and mental health disorders.

NIDA (the National Institute on Drug Abuse) defines self-medication with substances as one of the main drivers for substance abuse, both in terms of initiation and continuation.

Unfortunately, self-medication offers nothing beyond temporary relief, typically compounding and inflaming symptoms over the long term.

The dual diagnosis makes treatment more complicated and also heightens the risk of relapse. If you are experiencing issues with substance abuse and mental health, seek help as quickly as possible and unpack both these debilitating issues with professional help.