How to Tell if Someone Needs Rehab

Thousands of American’s every day must make the decision about whether they or their loved ones need to enter a rehabilitation center. This decision is often fraught with uncertainty and the question, “Is rehab really necessary?” often races through their minds. There are numerous factors to consider when deciding whether or not someone needs rehabilitation.

Consulting a Professional

Often the best way to find out if someone needs rehabilitation is to consult a medical professional. Physicians, trained nurses and other drug treatment experts have studied the signs of addiction and know when rehabilitation is appropriate. Often a doctor will need to speak to the addict and will perform a thorough assessment with regards to the possible presence of addiction.

Here are some possible questions, created by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), that doctors use to assess addiction:

  • Has the patient taken any substances (e.g., tobacco, alcohol, medications, or illicit drugs) within the past year?
  • Is there evidence of substance abuse throughout the patient’s entire lifetime?
  • How often has the patient abused a controlled substance within the last three months?
  • How often and how strong is the urge to use a drug?
  • Does drug use cause problems to the patient’s health, social life or financial status?
  • Do you consistently fail to meet expectations due to drug use?
  • Is a friend or relative concerned about the patient’s drug use?
  • Has the patient tried and failed to stop abusing?
  • Does the patient inject non-medical drugs?

From these answers, the doctor will assess the patient’s risk level. The risk level is expressed as a number between 0 and approximately 39. Any score higher than 27 represents a patient who is at a high risk for addiction and will require medical assistance and possibly referral to a rehabilitation facility. However, the doctor cannot force the patient into rehab. In most cases, the patient will have to agree to receive treatment.

Non-Professional Assessment

In some cases, non-professional assessment can help determine whether or not someone needs rehab. Most commonly people who need rehab will exhibit one or more of the following symptoms:

  • Psychological disturbances when using drugs. Most addictive substances cause severe alterations in mood. Most addicts will exhibit anxiety, depression, irritability and anger.
  • Symptoms of withdrawal. Addicts become physically ill within a few hours after they stop taking their drug of choice. The exact symptoms depend on the abused substance, but most often patients will experience tremors, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, constipation or diarrhea, headaches and generalized body pain.
  • Uncontrollable urge to use drugs. Psychologically, addicts are often buffeted by powerful urges or cravings to use drugs. These urges increase greatly when the addict experiences even the mildest forms of withdrawal.

If you or someone you love exhibits any of these symptoms, rehabilitation is probably necessary. Contact us today to discuss the best possible treatment options.