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Self Assessment

Reflect on Patterns of Use

  • Frequency and Amount: Consider how often and how much you use substances.
  • Coping Mechanism: Assess if substances are primarily used to manage stress, anxiety, or physical pain.
  • Escalation: Reflect if your substance use has increased over time.

Assess Impact on Daily Life and Performance

  • Academic and Clinical Performance: Notice if substance use is interfering with your grades, clinical duties, or concentration.
  • Physical and Cognitive Functioning: Evaluate if substances affect your energy, alertness, or overall health.
  • Social and Interpersonal Consequences: Look at how your substance use might be affecting relationships with family, peers, or colleagues.

Reflect on Control and Compulsivity

  • Attempts to Cut Down: Consider if you’ve tried to reduce use but couldn’t.
  • Craving and Obsession: Identify if you feel strong cravings or think about substances frequently.
  • Using Despite Negative Consequences: Evaluate if you continue using substances even when it harms your health or academic success.

Evaluate Emotional and Psychological Health

  • Assess if you're experiencing high levels of stress, anxiety, depression, or burnout that may be linked to your substance use.
  • Reflect if you are using substances to manage these emotional challenges.

Seek Help and Professional Support

  • If self-assessment indicates potential issues, reach out for help through counseling services, peer support networks, or wellness programs available at your medical school or workplace.

Use Screening Tools for Self-Assessment

  • eCHECKUPTOGO: SUD evaluation tool.
    • see "Marijuana Resources" page for eCHECKUPTOGO Cannabis
  • CAGE Questionnaire: A 4-question screening for alcohol use.
    • see "Alcohol & Drug Misuse Training" page
  • AUDIT: A 10-question tool for assessing alcohol use disorder.

American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology Signs and Behaviors: If You See Something, Do Something

Access a PDF of early identification of the signs and behaviors associated with substance use disorder and drug diversion, which reduces the risk of harm to patients and providers. Co-workers play an important role by recognizing and reporting suspicion to supervisors/appropriate chain of command.