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A careful clinical evaluation provides insight and clarity on substance use. Diagnosis and treatment depend on a thorough understanding of your history, biology, and environment. We emphasize an evidence-based approach to finding sustainable relief.
Substance use exists on a spectrum — from occasional use with no apparent consequences to a chronic, recurring condition in which the use of alcohol, cannabis, stimulants, opioids, or other substances significantly disrupts daily life, relationships, health, and safety. SUD is not a character flaw or moral failing.
A formal diagnosis of SUD is made by a licensed clinician through a structured clinical evaluation. Validated screening tools such as the AUDIT, DAST-10, and CAGE questionnaire are commonly used to identify who may benefit from a fuller evaluation.
Psychosocial interventions are central to SUD treatment. Motivational Interviewing (MI), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Contingency Management (CM), and 12-Step Facilitation or mutual aid programs are foundational approaches.
Medication strategies require careful consideration. For Alcohol Use Disorder, FDA-approved medications include Naltrexone, Acamprosate, and Disulfiram. For Opioid Use Disorder, Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) like Buprenorphine and Methadone are standard of care. There are currently no FDA-approved medications specifically for stimulant use disorder.
Symptoms often intersect across domains. You may want to explore these related areas:
Understanding the complexities of attention and development, offering thoughtful clinical evaluation for ADHD, Autism Spectrum, and executive dysfunction.
Exploring the nuances of mood and emotional health, with thoughtful clinical evaluation for depression, bipolar-spectrum concerns, and emotional regulation.
Evidence-based strategies and thoughtful clinical evaluation for generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic attacks, OCD, intrusive thoughts, and avoidant patterns.
Compassionate, trauma-informed care and medical evaluation for PTSD, chronic stress, burnout, adjustment difficulties, and sleep disruption.
Navigating diagnostic uncertainty, nuanced medication questions, and intersecting symptoms through deep, context-driven psychiatric evaluation.
Every clinician is a rigorously evaluated member of our team, ensuring your care meets the highest medical standards. Book an initial evaluation to step back, look at the big picture, and build a treatment plan based on clinical expertise.
These pages are educational only and are not a diagnosis, medical advice, or a substitute for a clinician’s evaluation. Diagnosis and treatment depend on history, symptom duration, impairment, safety risk, medical factors, medications, substances, and clinician judgment. If someone is in crisis, they should call 911, 988, or go to the nearest emergency room.
Information informed by guidelines and literature from:
• SAMHSA National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)
• NIDA: The Science of Drug Use and Addiction
• NIAAA: Alcohol Use Disorder Overview
• ASAM Clinical Practice Guideline on the Management of Stimulant Use Disorder