Intake at a rehab facility typically starts with a substance abuse evaluation in Houston. An overview of your current condition and history will help the staff to decide which treatment options will best serve your condition. Don’t be afraid of the evaluation process because it will make your treatment program work for you. All you have to do is to work with the rehab center as you go through therapy.
What Does a Substance Abuse Evaluation in Houston Include?
You will have to answer several questions during the evaluation. Depending on the facility, you may have to read and answer the questions yourself. However, some places may read the statements to you and you have to respond to them. Be honest with your answers. The staff will use your responses to determine the level of care you need to increase your chances of success.
Because rehab facilities have options for the screening questionnaires they use, you may undergo one or several at intake. These surveys have scientific backing to show whether you have a substance abuse problem. In addition, some questionnaires, like the Level of Care Utilization System (LOCUS) screening, can help to decide if you need long-term care or a shorter rehab stay.
Some possible assessments that you may work through during a substance abuse evaluation in Houston include the following:
- TAPS (Tobacco, alcohol, prescription drugs, and substance use)
- DAST-10 (Drug abuse screen test)
- NIDA drug use screening tool
- NIAAA (Helping Patients Who Drink Too Much: A Clinician’s Guide)
Does an Evaluation Require Treatment?
If you have a substance abuse evaluation, you are not required to go into rehab after. However, these tests typically indicate that you need treatment. The worse your substance abuse is, the greater the need for help that you have. In fact, the longer you put off getting help, the harder it will be for you to embrace recovery.
Evaluations, especially for drug use, will also help to determine if you may need a medically supervised detox. Some drugs or alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be severe enough to require medical help. Detox is the first step people take on their road to sobriety. Over the course of an addiction, the brain and body become used to the presence of the addictive chemical. Over time, the user’s tolerance increases, which drives them to use more of the substance more often to reach the same high.
Physical dependence, however, is a two-sided coin. Just as it fuels the addiction, it also hurts the user when they stop using their substance of choice. When the addictive chemical is no longer present, the body exhibits multiple withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms from alcohol and heroin, among other substances, are the raison d’etre for detox. This is especially true for users who used the drug for a long time or in particularly heavy doses. For these users, detox is a life-saver; withdrawal symptoms for these users can cause death if the user is not supervised.
This phase is important for your physical health, but rehab centers will work on your mental health through various treatments and therapies, such as:
- Alcohol addiction rehab
- Cocaine addiction rehabilitation
- Motivational enhancement therapy program
- 90-day treatment program
Do You Have a Substance Abuse Problem?
Even if you don’t think that you have a substance abuse problem, find an online screening or ask your friends or family. Identifying this problem in yourself is difficult. Therefore, treatment facilities rely on intake questionnaires to determine if you have a problem rather than asking if you have a problem.
If you feel that drug use or alcohol addiction has taken over your life, you should get outside help to stop. Addiction recovery requires a team supporting you all the way through rehab. Call San Antonio Recovery Center at 866.957.7885. You can talk to a professional counselor and find out more about our center and a substance abuse evaluation. Recovery starts today with a single phone call.
