Behavioral health conditions

Substance abuse

For those who are addicted to drugs, alcohol or tobacco, it’s nearly impossible to recover without outside assistance. Substance use can significantly impact successful outcomes as you treat medical disorders as well.

If you believe your patient has a problem with substance abuse, we strongly urge you to coordinate medical care with behavioral health treatment. The tools below can help.

CAGE-AID is a commonly used, five-question tool used to screen for drug and alcohol use. If a person answers yes to two or more questions, a complete assessment is advised.

  • An appearance of unusual behavior, which is getting worse
  • Being argumentative, isolated, irritable and/or irresponsible
  • Demonstrating poor judgment, risky or reckless behavior
  • Breaking rules
  • Sudden mood changes
  • Withdrawing from activities that involve others
  • Decreased interest in activities
  • Absenteeism and/or tardiness, particularly on Mondays
  • Decreased productivity and ability to focus
  • Changes in appearance, or a lack of attention to appearance 

Physical symptoms will vary depending upon the substance that is being used. They may include any of the following:

  • Tendency to nod off or appear to be extremely drowsy
  • Eye pupil constriction, red and/or glassy eyes
  • Changes in sleeping habits
  • Frequent sniffy or runny nose
  • Increased constipation
  • Complaints of nausea and/or vomiting