You most likely won’t be informed of the results of the drug testing right away, but you should know within a few hours or days. Testing for drug addiction, on the other hand, generally involves a more in-depth assessment. This can include a psychological examination and mental health assessment. Still, drug testing is one of the most accurate and efficient ways to confirm if someone is abusing drugs, even though there are other signs of drug abuse you will be able to recognize in a person.
Do I need drug testing?
There are a number of reasons why a person may need drug testing. Some drug tests are mandated by a local government, business, or organization. This includes drug tests that are required by law enforcement, courts, or employers. Individuals, such as parents or spouses, may also request that their loved ones undergo drug testing to determine if they have a problem with drugs.
Physical drug testing is one way to determine if a person has recently used illicit drugs. This usually involves testing a person’s urine, blood, or hair for the presence of drugs. A laboratory will usually perform this service, but home drug testing kits are also available. Keep in mind, though, that the simple presence of drugs in a person’s body does not always indicate a drug abuse problem or drug addiction; a more extensive assessment by an addiction specialist is usually necessary for this.
When do you need drug testing?
As mentioned above, you may need drug testing if an organization or person orders or requests it. If a drug test is positive, you may then be ordered to undergo more extensive testing to determine if you suffer from a drug addiction problem.
As part of a drug addiction screening, addiction specialists may use a positive drug test as one indicator of a possible drug abuse problem. However, a person’s actions are often more indicative of a drug dependence. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), a manual used to diagnose a variety of mental health conditions, you may suffer from a drug dependence if you can relate to three or more of the following situations in a twelve month period.
- You’ve developed a tolerance to a drug, meaning that you need more and more of it over time to feel “high”.
- You experience withdrawal symptoms when you don’t take the drug, and these symptoms can be relieved by using the same or similar drug.
- You take more of the drug than you originally intended to, or you spend more time using the drug than you intended to.
- You want to cut down on or quit your drug use, but you’re unable to.
- You’ve neglected responsibilities or other activities in order to use drugs.
- You spend an exorbitant amount of time using, trying to obtain, or recovering from the effects of your drug.
- You continue to use the drug despite it causing physical, psychological, social, or legal problems.
Need for drug testing questions
Drug testing is one of the best ways to identify substance abuse when someone is not displaying the obvious signs and symptoms of dependence or addiction. If you test positive for drugs or think that you may have a drug problem, it’s best to speak to an addiction specialist or other trusted medical professional about the next steps you should take.
Additionally, please leave any questions you have about drug testing in the comments section below. We do our best to respond to each questions personally and promptly.
Reference Sources: SAMHSA: The Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST)
NCBI: Clinical Guidelines for the Use of Buprenorphine in the Treatment of Opioid Addiction
Department of Health: Substance Abuse and Treatment: Information for Practitioner
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