Do I need treatment? 11 private screening questions
11 yes-or-no questions on substance use disorder signs. Time: about 2 minutes. Answers are kept in the browser.
Run the self-check
Window: the last 12 months; yes = it happened then. 1 question per criterion: 11 criteria from the DSM-5-TR (published by the American Psychiatric Association), used by clinicians to diagnose substance use disorder.
Item 1 of 11
Used more, or longer, than intended?
Example: 1–2 planned drinks became a full evening; a weekend extended into Monday.
Item 2 of 11
Attempts to cut down or quit that failed?
Self-imposed limits or a week off; neither held.
Item 3 of 11
Much time spent obtaining, using, recovering?
Example: schedule built around supply; mornings lost; slow days after.
Item 4 of 11
Strong cravings or urges to use?
Intrusive thoughts of using; common triggers: stress, places, people.
Item 5 of 11
Work, school or home disrupted by use?
Example: shifts missed, grades falling, home tasks undone.
Item 6 of 11
Continued use despite trouble in close relationships?
Example: arguments; a worried partner or family member; use continues.
Item 7 of 11
Activities that once mattered: dropped?
Example: sport, hobbies, friends no longer seen.
Item 8 of 11
Use in physically dangerous situations?
Example: driving, operating machinery, combining substances.
Item 9 of 11
Continued use despite harm to body or mood?
Example: use goes on after a doctor's warning or worsening anxiety or depression.
Item 10 of 11
More needed for the same effect?
Tolerance: a previously effective amount no longer works.
Item 11 of 11
Withdrawal on stopping, or use to prevent it?
On stopping: sweating, shaking, nausea, anxiety, poor sleep.
Yes answers: of 11.
Screening only, not a diagnosis. Substance use disorder diagnosis: clinicians only, after an interview covering history and health.
Level of care: which fits?
Level of care: set by programs through an ASAM-criteria assessment. 6 questions below track the same dimensions; output is a starting point for that conversation. Answers are kept in this browser.
Substance use disorder: definition
Pre-2013: two separate diagnoses in the manual, "abuse" and "dependence". That split failed to predict who did worse. DSM-5 response: the two combined into a single severity-graded diagnosis, substance use disorder. Threshold: 2 or more of 11 criteria within 12 months.
4 criteria groups: loss of control over use; risky use; harm to relationships and work; physical adaptation (tolerance, withdrawal). Exception: tolerance and withdrawal caused by prescribed medication, taken as directed, do not count alone.
11 criteria
- More use, or longer use, than intended
- Unsuccessful wish or effort to cut down
- Heavy time cost: obtaining, using, recovering
- Craving
- Obligations unmet at work, school or home
- Ongoing use despite interpersonal problems
- Important activities abandoned
- Use where physical hazard exists
- Ongoing use despite psychological or physical harm
- Tolerance
- Withdrawal
Severity vs level of care
Mild, 2–3 criteria. Usual fit: outpatient counseling (individual or group). Michigan: 408 outpatient programs listed, city breakdown.
Moderate, 4–5 criteria. Options: intensive outpatient (90 programs here); day program (29 here); either plus medication for alcohol or opioid use. 165 programs with MAT (medication-assisted treatment).
Severe, 6+ criteria. Common fit: a residential program (65 here). If withdrawal could be dangerous, first medical detox (59 here).
Severity = starting estimate, not a forecast. Actual level of care: set by the program via an ASAM-criteria assessment, which also weighs home life, readiness, health, mental health, withdrawal risk.
Next step by result
- No disorder indicated, yet concerned. Sub-threshold harm is still harm. Options: counselor or primary care doctor.
- Result: mild or moderate. Most cases at this level: treated without a residential stay. Next step: evaluation by a counselor or physician.
- Result: severe. Timing: call this week. Help is warranted now, not only after things get worse.
- Heavy drinking daily, benzodiazepines, pregnancy: abrupt stopping can be dangerous; first step: medically supervised detox.
- Suicidal thoughts: 988, call or text, now.
Talk the result over with someone? Call (231) 422-3921 Referral line: paid. Answered by a partner; listed programs do not answer it.
Additional validated screeners
Also used by clinicians. Screening only, as with this self-check; no diagnosis.
| Instrument | Target | FAQ | Setting |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUDIT | Alcohol | 10 | World Health Organization instrument; primary care |
| DAST-10 | Non-alcohol drugs | 10 | Under 5 minutes; yes/no format |
| CAGE-AID | Alcohol, drugs | 4 | Clinic quick screens |
| ASSIST | 8 substance groups | Per substance: 8 | World Health Organization (WHO) interview, longer format |
Data sources
- DSM-5-TR (2022 edition) (American Psychiatric Association)
- The ASAM Criteria, 4th ed., 2023 (ASAM)
- Treatment approaches for drug addiction (NIDA)
- AUDIT alcohol screening test. WHO, 2001 (Babor TF et al)
- DAST drug screening test. Addictive Behaviors, 1982 (Skinner HA)
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, website:
Facility counts: SAMHSA snapshot, November 13, 2026.
Checked November 13, 2026 against the sources above; Michigan Rehab data desk. Methods.
Self-check FAQ
FAQ
Self-check vs diagnosis?
No.
Self-check vs diagnosis: details
Criteria: the same 11 clinicians use. Diagnosis adds an in-person assessment of context, health and history. Result use: words for describing what is happening, for a doctor or counselor visit.
Answer storage?
No.
Answer storage: details
Runs in the browser. Answers: never sent to us or to any third party. Closing the page deletes them.
Alcohol and drugs: both covered?
Yes.
Alcohol vs drugs: details
11 criteria, identical across substances in DSM-5-TR: alcohol, opioids, stimulants, cannabis, sedatives, others. Answer for the substance of greatest concern.
Evaluation in Michigan: where?
451 listed programs: any can assess you, most at the first visit. Check insurance acceptance with each, or dial the referral line (paid; answered by a referral partner) if the starting point is unclear.
Ready to look at treatment in Michigan?
Self-search the listed programs, or phone the referral line.
Referral line: paid. Answered by a partner; listed programs do not answer it.