Drug Abuse and Dependence

Drug abuse and dependence may be diagnosed during a routine doctor visit or when you see your doctor for a health or other problem linked to drug use, such as anxiety, depression, or family conflict. If your partner or a friend suspects a drug problem, he or she may urge you to see your doctor.

If you think you or a loved one might have a drug problem, use this short quiz to check for drug use:

Drug abuse screening test (What is a PDF document?)

Your doctor will ask you questions about your symptoms and past health and do a physical exam. If your doctor thinks you have a drug problem, he or she may ask about current and past drug use, your feelings toward drug use, and how drug use may have changed you. He or she also may ask you to take a drug assessment or ask if it's okay to give you a test to check for drug use, such as a urine or blood test.

Your doctor may ask to give you tests to look for health problems related to drug abuse. These may include tests for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or HIV.

If you and your doctor agree that you have a drug problem, your doctor probably will refer you to a specialist in drug abuse or dependence.

Testing for mental health problems

People who use drugs also may have mental health problems. These include depression, anxiety disorders, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If your doctor thinks this may be true for you, he or she may do a mental health assessment.

If you use drugs and have a mental health problem, it's called a dual diagnosis. A dual diagnosis can make treatment for a drug problem hard. If you don't get treatment, one problem can make the other one worse. If you treat only one problem, treatment may not work well. When you treat both problems, you have a better chance of a full recovery and less chance of using drugs again.