STEP TOOL: The Wild Life PARCs - Who Is An Addict?
The Wild Life PARC - Who is an addict (Rev. 8.22.2023)
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Addiction (or, “Abuse”) is a pattern of symptoms resulting from continuing to use the body (the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, limbs, genitals, brain) to use $omething or $omebody, even though using causes problems for self, family, or others’ families.
Criteria for psychological and medical diagnoses are based on research and updated regularly in: (1) The American Psychiatric Association’s 2013 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, (DSM-5) and (2) The World Health Organization’s 2022 International Classification of Disease (ICD-11).
Current criteria include:
(1) Am I using $omething or $omebody for a longer time or in larger amounts than is healthy?
(2) Am I wanting to cut down or stop using $omething or $omebody but am not managing to?
(3) Am I spending a lot of time using $omething or $omebody, trying to use, or recovering from using?
(4) Am I having cravings, desires, or urges to do use $omething or $omebody?
(5) Am I failing to do housework, work, or school well because of using $omething or $omebody?
(6) Am I continuing to use $omething or $omebody even though it hurts my social skills?
(7) Am I giving up—or spending less time at—important social, work, or play activities because of using $omething or $omebody?
(8) Am I using $omething or $omebody in places that are physically hazardous or in situations that put me or others (the kids?) in danger?
(9) Am I continuing to use $omething or $omebody though it is giving me a physical or mental condition—or making a pre-existing condition worse instead of better?
(10) Am I thinking I need to use $omething or $omebody more—or to do it harder or more often—to get the effect I want?
(11) Have I experienced withdrawal symptoms when I quit using $omething or $omebody?
How severe is it:
2 to 3 symptoms = Mild
4 to 5 symptoms = Moderate
6 or more symptoms = Severe
The WHO (World Health Organization) diagnoses “Dependent” if you do it (use $omething or $omebody) daily for 3 months.