Do I need treatment? A private self-check
Answer eleven yes-or-no questions. They are based on the clinical criteria for substance use disorder. Plan on about two minutes; your answers never leave your browser.
Try the 2-minute self-check
Count only the last 12 months: answer yes if it happened in that time. Every question matches one of the eleven DSM-5-TR criteria for diagnosing substance use disorder. The DSM-5-TR is the manual of the American Psychiatric Association.
Question 1 of 11
Have you ended up using more, or for longer, than you planned?
One or two drinks that turned into a whole evening. A weekend that lasted into Monday.
Question 2 of 11
Did you try to cut back or quit, and find you could not?
You set limits or took a week off, and it did not last.
Question 3 of 11
Does getting it, using it and recovering from it take up much of your time?
You plan around supply, lose mornings and have slow days after.
Question 4 of 11
Do you get strong urges or cravings to use?
The thought of using keeps pushing in. Stress, certain places or certain people often trigger it.
Question 5 of 11
Has using kept you from doing what you should at work, school or home?
You miss shifts, your grades slip, or jobs at home do not get done.
Question 6 of 11
Have you gone on using, even though it causes trouble with the people closest to you?
There are arguments, and a partner or relative is worried. Still, the use continues.
Question 7 of 11
Have you dropped things you used to care about?
Sports, hobbies, or friends you no longer see.
Question 8 of 11
Have you used at times when it put you in physical danger?
Behind the wheel, around machinery, or mixing substances.
Question 9 of 11
Have you gone on using, even though it hurts your body or your mood?
A doctor has warned you, or anxiety or depression got worse, and you still use.
Question 10 of 11
Does it now take more to feel the same effect?
This is tolerance: your old amount is no longer enough.
Question 11 of 11
When you stop, do you go into withdrawal, or use to avoid it?
Stopping brings sweats, shakes, nausea, anxiety or bad sleep.
Your yes answers: of 11.
This check screens; it does not diagnose. A diagnosis of substance use disorder comes only from a clinician. It follows an interview about your history and health.
What level of care might fit you?
A program sets your level of care after an assessment. That assessment uses the ASAM criteria. The six questions below cover the same areas. Use your answers as a starting point for that talk. Your answers do not leave this browser.
Substance use disorder, explained
Before 2013, the manual had two diagnoses: "abuse" and "dependence". The old split did not predict who would do worse. So the DSM-5 joined them into one diagnosis, substance use disorder, rated by severity. To meet it, a person needs at least two of eleven criteria within twelve months.
These criteria form four groups. They are: losing control of use, risky use, harm to work and relationships, and the body adapting (tolerance and withdrawal). If tolerance and withdrawal come only from a medicine taken as prescribed, they do not count.
All eleven criteria
- Using more, or longer, than planned
- Unable to cut down despite wanting or trying
- A lot of time lost to getting, using or recovering
- Craving
- Not meeting duties at work, school or home
- Using despite trouble with other people
- Dropping activities that matter
- Using where it is physically dangerous
- Using despite harm to body or mind
- Tolerance
- Withdrawal
Matching severity to care
Mild: 2–3 criteria. Usually, outpatient counseling is enough, alone or in a group. You can choose from 367 listed outpatient programs in Tennessee: browse them by city.
Moderate: 4–5 criteria. Think of an intensive outpatient program (110 here) or a day program (50). Add medication for opioid or alcohol use. Here, 183 programs provide medication-assisted treatment (MAT).
Severe: 6 or more criteria. This often means a residential program (65 here). When withdrawal could be dangerous, it begins with medical detox (36 here).
Treat severity as a first estimate, not a prediction. The real level of care is set by a program's assessment under the ASAM criteria. It also looks at your health, mental health, home life, readiness and withdrawal risk.
Next steps for your result
- No disorder shown, but you are still worried. Harm that falls under the threshold still counts. Talk it over with a counselor or your primary care doctor.
- Mild or moderate result. Set up an evaluation with a physician or counselor. At this level, most people get treatment without a residential stay.
- Severe result. Make the call this week. You deserve help now; there is no need to wait until things get worse.
- Heavy daily drinking, benzodiazepines, or pregnancy: quitting all at once can be dangerous. Begin with detox under medical supervision.
- Having thoughts of suicide: call or text 988 right now.
Would you like to go over your result with someone? Call (423) 509-6280 This paid referral line is answered by a partner, not a listed program.
More validated screening tools
These are in clinical use too. Like this self-check, they screen but do not diagnose.
| Screening tool | What it covers | Common questions | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUDIT | Alcohol | 10 | Built by the World Health Organization; used in primary care |
| DAST-10 | Drugs, not alcohol | 10 | Under five minutes, yes-or-no answers |
| CAGE-AID | Both alcohol and drugs | 4 | Fast clinic checks |
| ASSIST | Eight substance groups | 8 for each substance | A longer interview from WHO |
Sources we used
- American Psychiatric Association (2022). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR). www.psychiatry.org
- The ASAM Criteria, 4th ed., 2023 — ASAM www.asam.org
- Treatment approaches for drug addiction — NIDA nida.nih.gov
- AUDIT, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Babor TF, et al., 2001. Published by the World Health Organization. www.who.int
- The Drug Abuse Screening Test. Skinner HA. Addictive Behaviors, 1982.
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Official site: 988lifeline.org
We took the facility counts from the SAMHSA snapshot dated November 5, 2026.
The Tennessee Rehab editors checked this page against the sources above on November 5, 2026. How this site works.
Self-check, explained
Common questions
Does this self-check give a diagnosis?
No.
More on the self-check and diagnosis
It checks the same eleven criteria that clinicians use. But a diagnosis needs a face-to-face assessment of your history, health and context. Your result gives you words to explain what is going on when you see a doctor or counselor.
Are my answers stored anywhere?
No.
More on whether answers are stored
The check runs inside your browser. Your answers never go to us or to anyone else. When you close the page, they are gone.
Can I use it for both alcohol and drugs?
Yes.
More on alcohol and drugs
The DSM-5-TR applies the same eleven criteria to alcohol, opioids, stimulants, cannabis and sedatives, as well as other substances. Pick the substance that worries you most and answer for it.
Where in Tennessee can I be evaluated?
All 402 listed programs can assess you, most often at the first visit. Check with each one that it takes your insurance, or phone the referral line (it is paid and answered by a partner) if you need help picking a first step.
Ready to look at treatment in Tennessee?
Look through the listed programs, or use the referral line.
This paid referral line is answered by a partner, not a listed program.