Understanding the Symptoms of Alcohol/Drug Addiction

• Denial - not only makes alcohol/drug addiction difficult to identify but also to treat. Many alcohol/drug dependent individuals that are afraid of their alcohol/drug use being exposed will attempt to utilize different social psychological defenses in order to protect their continued use.
• Preoccupation - is an inordinate amount of time spent thinking about accessing the alcohol/drug, where and when the alcohol/drug will be used and who the alcohol/drug will be used with.
• Loss of control - occurs when the alcohol/drug dependent individuals can no longer predict when, how much, where, and how long they will use. They lose their ability to predict how they will act while under the influence along with engaging in potentially harmful behaviors.
• Continued use despite negative consequences. Most non-alcohol/drug dependent individuals will discontinue their use if it jeopardizes their relationships, jobs, ethics or other activities that are important to them. Alcohol/drug dependent individuals will not. Alcohol/drug dependent individuals may temporarily avoid their use but they can not sustain abstinence.

Signs of Alcohol/Drug Addiction on the Job

• smell of alcohol or a strong smell of a mouthwash, cough drops, etc., used to cover the odor of alcohol
• frequent trips to the bathroom or other unexplained brief absences
• frequent visits by family or friends on the unit during shifts
• increased number of patient complaints
• frequent incorrect medication/narcotics count
• increased reports by patients regarding ineffective pain medication
• discrepancies in treatment orders, progress notes and medication records
• large amounts of narcotics wasted
• strong interest in pain management patients or difficult cases
• significant variation in quantity of drugs required on the unit
• request for night shifts
• social avoidance of staff, eating alone/isolation
• difficulty meeting deadlines and attending scheduled meetings
• illegible or sloppy charting
• complaints from others about the person's alcohol/drug use or increasingly poor work performance
• unscheduled/erratic changes in normal work schedule
• appearance on the unit on days off