Objective: Survey the Substance-Related Disorders as laid out in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

The current edition of The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) is the most widely accepted sourcebook for diagnostic criteria of disorders for the counseling fields. Many mental health professionals (psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, social workers, and chemical dependency counselors) use the information contained in this manual to determine a diagnosis and communicate about that diagnosis with other professionals when caring for, and providing treatment to, a patient. For this course, and future courses, you will need to become familiar with the use and layout of this manual, specifically its Substance Use and Addictive Disorders section. DSM-5 is a major revision of the DSM-IV-TR with regard to Substance Use Disorders. No longer are diagnostic categories separated into Substance Abuse and Substance Dependency but rather along the spectrum of the Disorder. In other words, Abuse and Dependence have been combined into one category, Substance Use Disorder, based upon the clinical severity of the syndrome.

• Review the “Substance-Use and Addictive Disorders” of the DSM- 5 (American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.) This is a required text in one of your previous courses so you will already own it.
• Identify the three general diagnostic criteria levels of Substance Use disorder and consider the appropriate timing for diagnosis.
• Pick three substances from the DSM 5 and relate how the diagnostic criteria are then applied to specific substances and substance categories. Include what specific criteria and information are outlined for each.
• Discuss how knowledge of each of these diagnostic criteria will impact your views of chemical dependency and how these criteria will affect the course of treatment for an individual.