Addiction Diagnosis

While a definitive addiction diagnosis often occurs after being evaluated by an addiction counselor, psychologist or psychiatrist, the first step usually starts with a family doctor. Blood tests, while often used to determine use a particular substance in the recent past, are not used to actually diagnose addiction.

Symptoms

Drug dependence behaviors and symptoms usually include:

• Confusion.
• Continued use of drugs, regardless of how harmful they have become to one’s health, work, and relationships.
• Violent episodes.
• Hostility when asked about drug dependence.
• Loss of control over the drugs – cannot reduce or stop drug use.
• Missing school or work; or sub-par performance
  A need for regular and everyday drug use in order to function.
• Loss of appetite.
• Indifference towards own physical appearance.
• Lack of interest in certain activities due to drug abuse.
• Secretive behavior.
• Drug use, even when alone.

Drug Testing

Drug tests on urine and blood samples can reveal the amount of drugs and chemicals in the human body. However, the test’s sensitivity will depend on the drugs themselves, when the drugs were taken, and the quality of the testing laboratory. Also, even though urine screens are more commonly used for drug tests, blood tests tend to be more efficient at finding drugs.

Narcotics and opiates usually stay in the urine up to 36 hours, though this will ultimately depend on how often and how much of the drugs were used.

CNS stimulants like cocaine usually stay in the urine up to 12 days, though this will also depend on how often they were used.

CNS depressants like Xanax and Valium can be found up to a week after their last use and will mostly depend on which drugs were used and how fast the body was able to remove them.

The majority of hallucinogens out there also stay in the urine for up to a week after their last use, but marijuana – if taken regularly – can stay in the urine for up to a month after its last use.