Reflect on Patterns of Use

• Frequency and Amount: Consider how often and how much you use substances.
• Coping Mechanism: Assess if substances are primarily used to manage stress, anxiety, or physical pain.
• Escalation: Reflect if your substance use has increased over time.

Assess Impact on Daily Life and Performance

• Academic and Clinical Performance: Notice if substance use is interfering with your grades, clinical duties, or concentration.
• Physical and Cognitive Functioning: Evaluate if substances affect your energy, alertness, or overall health.
• Social and Interpersonal Consequences: Look at how your substance use might be affecting relationships with family, peers, or colleagues.

Reflect on Control and Compulsivity

• Attempts to Cut Down: Consider if you’ve tried to reduce use but couldn’t.
• Craving and Obsession: Identify if you feel strong cravings or think about substances frequently.
• Using Despite Negative Consequences: Evaluate if you continue using substances even when it harms your health or academic success.

Evaluate Emotional and Psychological Health

• Assess if you're experiencing high levels of stress, anxiety, depression, or burnout that may be linked to your substance use.
• Reflect if you are using substances to manage these emotional challenges.

Seek Help and Professional Support

• If self-assessment indicates potential issues, reach out for help through counseling services, peer support networks, or wellness programs available at your medical school or workplace.

Use Screening Tools for Self-Assessment

• : SUD evaluation tool.
  • see "Marijuana Resources" page for eCHECKUPTOGO Cannabis
• CAGE Questionnaire: A 4-question screening for alcohol use.
  • see "Alcohol & Drug Misuse Training" page
• : A 10-question tool for assessing alcohol use disorder.

American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology Signs and Behaviors: If You See Something, Do Something

of early identification of the signs and behaviors associated with substance use disorder and drug diversion, which reduces the risk of harm to patients and providers. Co-workers play an important role by recognizing and reporting suspicion to supervisors/appropriate chain of command.