How do professionals decide if a patient should consider getting admitted into an alcohol addiction treatment program? An alcohol screening test helps determine if someone is struggling with an alcohol use disorder. An emergency room can use a short alcohol screening test that makes a determination based on the first question. A mental health professional at their practice or an addiction treatment facility often has time to administer a more comprehensive alcohol screening test with more questions. But what is alcohol screening in the first place? Read on to find out more about it below. If you’re looking for alcohol addiction treatment programs in Pennsylvania, contact Pennsylvania Adult and Teen Challenge today. Call 844.442.8673 or reach out to our team online.
What Is Alcohol Screening?
Everyone knows that alcohol addiction can cause consistent excessive drinking, which leads to severe problems in someone’s life. However, not everyone can recognize if they’re struggling with it. If they’re hiding their alcohol consumption from their loved ones, a patient may continue to drink and negatively affect everything in their life for years.
An alcohol screening test is noninvasive and easy to get through, and it can be a non-threatening way for professionals to help lead a patient to get professional help. Alcohol screening tests are questionnaires designed to determine if a patient is struggling with alcohol use disorder.
If someone suspects they or someone they love has an alcohol use disorder, they may have already observed the following signs:
- Finding it hard to control the amount of alcohol being consumed
- Needing to increase the typical amount of alcohol consumed to feel its effects
- Spending a lot of time thinking about drinking
When Is National Alcohol Screening Day?
Every April, which is National Alcohol Awareness Month, during the Thursday of the month’s first full week, the U.S. also observes National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD). It’s a day when many organizations offer anonymous and confidential alcohol screening options for all interested parties. If you can’t get yourself or someone you care about to a hospital or an addiction treatment facility to get screened, you can mention NASD to them and hope they are interested in getting screened anonymously.
First observed in 1999, NASD is an initiative of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Screening centers that help celebrate this initiative will be located at colleges, designated businesses, military installations, and selected government agencies. These screenings are also available online. Taking an alcohol screening test requires no commitment. However, NASD also aims to increase awareness of professional help that’s available for people with alcohol-related problems.
When Should Someone Consider Getting Into an Alcohol Addiction Treatment Program?
If substance abuse is causing adverse effects in your life, it’s time to consider getting professional help, no matter which addictive substance is involved. When it comes to alcohol or opioid addiction especially, it’s essential to get help and overcome it as soon as possible. Long-term alcohol or opioid addictions lead to any negative health consequences and could eventually lead to death.
Did you know that only a few of those struggling with substance use disorders receive treatment that helps them being their journey to addiction recovery? Get screened, and don’t let your case be part of the majority. Many people forego treatment because they think they have to hit rock bottom before getting professional help. However, any level of addiction is still an addiction. If you observe some of these criteria of addiction diagnosis in yourself of someone you care about, you need professional intervention:
- Cravings
- Lack of control
- Desire to quit but unable
- Spending plenty of time trying to get the substance
- Lack of responsibility
- Problems with relationships
- Loss of interest in other activities
Learn About Pennsylvania Adult and Teen Challenge Today
Are you searching for alcohol addiction treatment programs in Pennsylvania? Contact Pennsylvania Adult and Teen Challenge today by calling 844.442.8673 or reaching out to our team online.
