Take an Addiction Self-Screening
Has your use of alcohol, tobacco, medicines, drugs, or another substance started to feel difficult to control? Do you find yourself thinking about using it frequently, trying to cut down, or continuing despite problems in your daily life? Addiction can affect behaviour, physical health, emotions, relationships, work, studies, and financial wellbeing. Recognising changes in your relationship with a substance or behaviour can be an important first step towards seeking professional support.
Before You Begin
Think about your experiences during the past 12 months. Answer each question based on your usual pattern rather than a single occasion.
How Has Your Use Been Affecting You?
During the past 12 months, how often have you experienced the following?
Understanding Your Addiction Screening
Addiction is not defined only by how often someone uses a substance or engages in a behaviour. The relationship with the substance or behaviour, the ability to control it, and its effect on everyday life are also important. This screening looks at several patterns that may indicate that further assessment could be useful.
What Does It Explore?
Cravings and Urges: Whether you frequently feel a strong desire or need to use a substance or engage in a particular behaviour. Control Over Use: Whether you have tried to reduce or stop but found it difficult to maintain the change. Time and Attention: Whether obtaining, using, recovering from, or thinking about the substance or behaviour is taking up significant time. Impact on Life: Whether use has affected health, relationships, responsibilities, work, studies, finances, or other important areas.
What Does Your Result Mean?
A screening result is not a diagnosis. Different forms of addiction can involve different symptoms and risks. Alcohol, tobacco, prescription medicines, recreational drugs, and behavioural addictions may require different approaches to assessment and care. Validated tools such as the WHO ASSIST are designed to screen for substance-related risks across several substance categories, while tools such as the AUDIT specifically assess alcohol-related use.
Why Is Professional Assessment Important?
A psychiatrist or addiction specialist may explore: what substance or behaviour is involved, how often and how much it occurs, cravings and loss of control, physical or psychological effects, previous attempts to reduce or stop, withdrawal experiences, effects on relationships and responsibilities, co-existing mental health concerns, and previous treatment or recovery experiences.
When Should You Consider Support?
Consider professional help if you are repeatedly trying to stop, experiencing strong cravings, continuing despite problems, or finding that substance use or addictive behaviour is affecting your health, relationships, work, studies, or daily responsibilities. Do not suddenly stop certain substances without medical advice, as withdrawal from some substances can require medical supervision.
Take the Next Step With ReWell
If substance use or addictive behaviour is becoming difficult to manage, ReWell can help you explore your concerns through a confidential professional assessment and discuss appropriate care options.
ReWell Institute of Mental Health
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