ASSESSMENT AND DIAGNOSIS

The first step of treatment is actually assessing the patient's addiction to get a feel for what kind and how effective a treatment program will be. It is important to find out exactly why the patient seeks treatment because if he/she is forced to come, they might not have enough motivation on their own to overcome the addiction. It is also necessary to discover potential threats or challenges that might stand in the way of the treatment's success, an assessment of past and present drug use, the patient's access to a support network, and a search for other psychopathology that may be present. Knowing this information allows the evaluator to determine exactly what types of treatment would be best and how much support the patient will be receiving in trying to change their life.

Percentage of patients seeking treatment, based on previous admissions for substance abuse treatment: