DSM 5: Simple Procedure for Evaluating Addiction 

August 15, 2016

The DSM 5 allows clinicians to specify how severe the substance use disorder is, depending on how many symptoms are identified.
MILD: Two or three symptoms indicate a mild substance use disorder;
MODERATE: Four or five symptoms indicate a moderate substance use disorder, and
SEVERE: Six or more symptoms indicate a severe substance use disorder. 

DSM: Severe Addiction
SEVERE: six or more symptoms indicate a severe substance use disorder. Clinicians can also add “in early remission,” “in sustained remission,” “on maintenance therapy,” and “in a controlled environment.” 
Here are the eleven symptoms (DSM Criteria):

Substance use disorders span a wide variety of problems arising from substance use, and cover 11 different criteria:



4. Cravings and urges to use the substance








Take an alcohol and drug use history. Then ask the patient if he/she has ever experienced this (the symptom/criteria). Keep going between the patient’s discussion of each criteria and what they reported in the alcohol and drug use history. 
Then you can add a recovery specifier. They offer four options: 

Clinicians can also add one of four specifiers 

1. In early remission,

2. In sustained remission,

3. On maintenance therapy (such as methadone or Suboxone);

4. In a controlled environment (such as detox, residential living, sober living home, jail/prison, etc.)

Try it with patient or in a group and let me know how it goes by posting on my Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/GorskiRecovery 

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