It is important that the fluctuating course of alcohol abuse and dependence be emphasized. Thus, there is hope for recovery, even among individuals who have refused to enter treatment. D. Time permitting, it is worthwhile to review the high rate of temporary conditions of anxiety, depression, insomnia, and even psychosis among alcohol-dependent people. A Brief Outline of Steps Important in Screening For Alcohol Use Disorders. A key step is to drop all stereotypes of what an alcohol-dependent individual is.
Alcoholics come from all backgrounds.
Slides 9 and 10 demonstrate that the initial screening for an alcohol use disorder recognizes that the diagnosis rests with evidence of impairment in life functioning. Therefore, the clinician should begin by asking all patients and clients about functioning in interpersonal, job, health, legal, driving, etc. For alcohol, a number of state markers of heavy drinking can be useful. Here, blood tests can identify values that, while still often within the normal range, are high enough to raise the suspicion that an individual might be drinking four, six or more drinks per day on a regular basis. While these do not diagnose alcohol abuse or dependence, they do indicate patients from whom additional information should be obtained to rule out an alcohol use disorder.