What is a psychiatric evaluation?
A psychiatric evaluation is a method of diagnosing and assessing substance abuse disorders and other mental health conditions. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in brain disorders like addiction, depression, anxiety, and trauma. In many cases, substance abuse and other mental health conditions co-occur — many patients use drugs and alcohol to self-medicate and dull the symptoms of their condition.
What should I expect during a psychiatric evaluation for substance abuse?
Your psychiatric evaluation should feel like a detailed conversation or interview about your lifestyle, health, substance abuse, and other factors. Some of the questions might feel invasive, but the doctors need to understand you and your needs to best serve you.
During your evaluation, your provider asks questions that you need to answer as honestly as possible. The team at 90265 Medical Group doesn’t judge you — they need to understand your physical and mental health so they can create an effective, customized substance abuse treatment plan and direct you to other helpful resources.
You don’t have to prove anything or pretend to be something you’re not. 90265 Medical Group is a safe environment for you to get the substance abuse treatment you need.
What are the diagnostic signs of addiction?
During your psychiatric evaluation, your doctor looks for signs of the diagnostic criteria for a substance abuse disorder. Some of the criteria include:
- Using more of the substance than you intended
- Wanting to stop using drugs or alcohol, but not being able to
- Spending a lot of time getting, using, or recovering from drugs or alcohol
- Failing to meet your responsibilities at home, work, or school
- Losing interest in previously enjoyed activities
- Continuing to use drugs or alcohol despite negative consequences
- Developing a tolerance to the substance and needing more to feel the same effect
- Experiencing withdrawal symptoms
These criteria are outlined in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM) 5. The DSM-5 combines decades of research and clinical experience to identify mental health conditions. This tool helps the team at 90265 Medical Group to identify substance abuse disorders and other mental health conditions.
Call 90265 Medical Group or make an appointment online today to schedule your psychiatric evaluation and start your personalized substance abuse treatment program.
