Is There an Addiction Problem?

He said that his son was heavily using cocaine and alcohol every day and that he was experiencing seizures. He asked, “Do you think that my son has a substance use problem?” This may seem like a bizarre question. But denial, fear and a lack of understanding of what addiction is often obscures the disease, even if the parent is a doctor. Most people just don’t know what defines addiction.

Do you?

I didn’t.

Early on, I thought Stevie’s behavior could be teenager rebellion. Maybe his binge drinking was due to some other problem? Was he just hanging out with the wrong crowd? Would he grow out of it? Like most parents, I didn’t really know until my son’s addiction was so severe and scary that it was obvious that we had to take action.

Research shows that 40 percent of people with addiction do not know that they have the problem. In my experience, denial or lack of understanding among parents and loved ones is even higher.

During my fellowship program, I took graduate level classes on addiction in Public Health, Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience. In nearly every class, the lessons referred to this thing called DSM 5. One day I sat there and thought to myself, “What is this DSM 5?”

I looked it up and found that DSM 5 is the American Psychiatric Association’s gold standard diagnostic for addiction. It has 11 simple “yes or no” behavioral questions that define whether there is no problem or mild, moderate or severe addiction. This diagnostic cuts through the denial and clarifies whether there is a problem and if yes, how big. These questions take one minute to complete.

I immediately took the test for my son as if he were sixteen again with the symptoms that he displayed at the time. It turns out that he didn’t have a mild problem, he had severe addiction to alcohol. He had 10 of 11 symptoms!

My ability to make parenting decisions for my son would have been so much easier if I had known that he absolutely had this disease and needed treatment.

Is there an addiction problem? Please spend one minute and find out using the DSM 5 diagnostic below:

Adapted from the American Psychiatric Association’s

Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)

How many of the following symptoms has your loved one experienced within the last year? Check all that apply.

The substance is often taken in larger amounts or over a longer period than was intended.

There is a persistent desire or unsuccessful effort to cut down or control use of the substance.

A great deal of time is spent in activities to obtain the substance, use the substance, or recover from its effects.

Craving, or a strong desire or urge to use the substance, occurs.

Recurrent use of the substance results in a failure to fulfill major role obligations at work, school, or home.

Use of the substance continues despite having persistent or recurrent social or relationship problems caused or made worse by the effects of its use.

Important social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of use of the substance.

Use of the substance is recurrent in situations in which it is physically hazardous.

Use of the substance is continued despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or made worse by the substance.

Tolerance, as defined by either a need for increased substance use for the desired effect or a markedly diminished effect with use of the same amount.

Withdrawal symptoms are present when not using the substance.

Your Score:

SOURCE: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5);

DISCLAIMER: Administration of the DSM-5 for your loved-one is not intended to be a substitute for, or to be relied upon as, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with questions regarding this tool.

Download the DSM-5 here

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