Cocaine use during pregnancy can be discovered by asking the mother, but sometimes women will not admit to having used drugs. Mothers may lie for fear of prosecution or having their children taken away, but even when they are willing to tell the truth their memories may not be very accurate. It may also not be possible to be sure of the purity of the drug they have taken. More reliable methods for detecting cocaine exposure involve testing the newborn's hair or meconium (the infant's earliest stool). Hair analysis, however, can give false positives for cocaine exposure, and a newborn may not have enough hair to test. The newborn's urine can be tested for cocaine and metabolites, but it must be collected as soon as possible after birth. It is not known how long after exposure the markers will still show up in a newborn's urine. The mother's urine can also be tested for drugs, but it cannot detect drugs used too far in the past or determine how much or how often the drugs were used. Tests cannot generally detect cocaine use over a week prior to sample collection. Mothers are more honest about cocaine use when their urine is also tested, but many users still deny it. Both maternal and neonatal urine tests can give false negatives.

The CAGE questionnaire, the name of which is an acronym of its four questions, is a widely used method of screening for alcoholism.

- Online version of the CAGE questionnaire

The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is considered the most accurate alcohol screening tool for identifying potential alcohol misuse, including dependence. It was developed by the World Health Organisation, designed initially for use in primary healthcare settings with supporting guidance.

Different assessment tools can be used to determine if an individual is addicted to exercise. Most tools used to determine risk for exercise addiction are modified tools that have been used for assessing other behavioral addictions. Tools for determining eating disorders can also show a high risk for exercise addiction.

The Obligatory Exercise Questionnaire was created by Thompson and Pasman in 1991, consisting of 20 questions on exercise habits and attitudes toward exercise and body image. Patients respond to statements on a scale of 1 (never) to 4 (always). This questionnaire aided in the development of another assessment tool, the Exercise Addiction Inventory.

The Exercise Addiction Inventory was developed by Terry "et al" in 2004. This inventory was developed as a self-report to examine an individual's beliefs toward exercise. The inventory is made up of six statements in relation to the perception of exercise, concerning: the importance of exercise to the individual, relationship conflicts due to exercise, how mood changes with exercise, the amount of time spent exercising, the outcome of missing a workout, and the effects of decreasing physical activity. Individuals are asked to rate each statement from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). If an individual scores above 24 they are said to be at-risk for exercise addiction.

There are several different screening tools that have been validated for use with adolescents such as the CRAFFT Screening Test and in adults the CAGE questionnaire.

Some recommendations for screening tools for substance misuse in pregnancy include that they take less than 10 minutes, should be used routinely, include an educational component. Tools suitable for pregnant women include i.a. 4Ps, T-ACE, TWEAK, TQDH (Ten-Question Drinking History), and AUDIT.

Cannabis use disorder is recognized in the fifth version of the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" (DSM-5), which added cannabis withdrawal as a new condition. In the United States, the average adult who seeks treatment has consumed cannabis for over 10 years almost daily and has actively attempted to quit six or more times.

Antidepressants, including SSRIs, can cross the placenta and have the potential to affect the fetus and newborns, presenting a dilemma whether pregnant women should take antidepressants at all, and if they do, whether tapering them near the end of pregnancy could have a protective effect for the newborn.

Postnatal adaptation syndrome (PNAS) (originally called “neonatal behavioral syndrome”, “poor neonatal adaptation syndrome”, or "neonatal withdrawal syndrome") was first noticed in 1973 in newborns of mothers taking antidepressants; symptoms in the infant include irritability, rapid breathing, hypothermia, and blood sugar problems. The symptoms usually develop from birth to days after delivery and usually resolve within days or weeks of delivery.

There are reliable tests for the actual use of alcohol, one common test being that of blood alcohol content (BAC). These tests do not differentiate alcoholics from non-alcoholics; however, long-term heavy drinking does have a few recognizable effects on the body, including:

- Macrocytosis (enlarged MCV)

- Elevated GGT

- Moderate elevation of AST and ALT and an AST: ALT ratio of 2:1

- High carbohydrate deficient transferrin (CDT)

With regard to alcoholism, BAC is useful to judge alcohol tolerance, which in turn is a sign of alcoholism.

However, none of these blood tests for biological markers is as sensitive as screening questionnaires.

Symptoms can last for more than 4 weeks and typically resolve within a day of restoring the medication.

The World Health Organization, the European Union and other regional bodies, national governments and parliaments have formed alcohol policies in order to reduce the harm of alcoholism. Targeting adolescents and young adults is regarded as an important step to reduce the harm of alcohol abuse. Increasing the age at which licit drugs of abuse such as alcohol can be purchased, the banning or restricting advertising of alcohol has been recommended as additional ways of reducing the harm of alcohol dependence and abuse. Credible, evidence based educational campaigns in the mass media about the consequences of alcohol abuse have been recommended. Guidelines for parents to prevent alcohol abuse amongst adolescents, and for helping young people with mental health problems have also been suggested.

Confirming the presence of withdrawal in the neonate can be assessed from obtained a detailed medical history from the mother. In some cases neonatal drug withdrawal can be mistaken for central nervous system disorders. Typically the tests that are ordered are CBC, hair analysis, drug screen (of mother and infant), thyroid levels, electrolytes, and blood glucose. Chest x-rays can confirm or infirm the presence of heart defects. The diagnosis for babies with signs of withdrawal may be confirmed with drug tests of the baby's urine or stool. The mother's urine will also be tested.

There are at least two different scoring systems for neonatal withdrawal syndrome. One difficulty with both is that were developed to assess opiate withdrawal. The Finnegan scoring system is more widely used.

For a diagnosis of benzodiazepine dependence to be made, the ICD-10 requires that at least 3 of the below criteria are met and that they have been present for at least a month, or, if less than a month, that they appeared repeatedly during a 12-month period.

- Behavioral, cognitive, and physiological phenomena that are associated with the repeated use and that typically include a strong desire to take the drug.

- Difficulty controlling use

- Continued use despite harmful consequences

- Preference given to drug use rather than to other activities and obligations

- Increased tolerance to effects of the drug and sometimes a physical withdrawal state.

These diagnostic criteria are good for research purposes, but, in everyday clinical practice, they should be interpreted according to clinical judgement. In clinical practice, benzodiazepine dependence should be suspected in those having used benzodiazepines for longer than a month, in particular, if they are from a high-risk group. The main factors associated with an increased incidence of benzodiazepine dependence include:

- Dose

- Duration

- Concomitant use of antidepressants

Benzodiazepine dependence should be suspected also in individuals having substance use disorders including alcohol, and should be suspected in individuals obtaining their own supplies of benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepine dependence is almost certain in individuals who are members of a tranquilizer self-help group.

Research has found that about 40 percent of people with a diagnosis of benzodiazepine dependence are not aware that they are dependent on benzodiazepines, whereas about 11 percent of people judged not to be dependent believe that they are.

When assessing a person for benzodiazepine dependence, asking specific questions rather than questions based on concepts is recommended by experts as the best approach of getting a more accurate diagnosis. For example, asking persons if they "think about the medication at times of the day other than when they take the drug" would provide a more meaningful answer than asking "do you think you are psychologically dependent?". The Benzodiazepine Dependence Self Report Questionnaire is one questionnaire used to assess and diagnose benzodiazepine dependence.

Young people are at greater risk of developing cannabis dependency because of the association between early initiation into substance use and subsequent problems such as dependence, and the risks associated with using cannabis at a developmentally vulnerable age. In addition there is evidence that cannabis use during adolescence, at a time when the brain is still developing, may have deleterious effects on neural development and later cognitive functioning.

Some medical systems, including those of at least 15 states of the United States, refer to an Addiction Severity Index to assess the severity of problems related to substance use. According to DARA Thailand, the index assesses potential problems in seven categories: medical, employment/support, alcohol, other drug use, legal, family/social, and psychiatric.

Of all cocaine users, women of childbearing age comprise 15–17%.

An estimated 0.6 to 3% of pregnant women in the developed world use cocaine.

A 1995 survey in the US found that between 30,000 and 160,000 cases of prenatal exposure to cocaine occur each year. By one estimate, in the US 100,000 babies are born each year after having been exposed to crack cocaine "in utero". An estimated 7.5 million PCE children are living in the US. Pregnant women in urban parts of the US and who are of a low socioeconomic status use cocaine more often. However, the real prevalence of cocaine use by pregnant women is unknown.

For DSM-IV, anabolic-androgenic steroid dependency is found in the “other substance-related disorder” (which includes inhalants, anabolic steroids, medications) section and can be coded, depending on which diagnostic criteria are met.

The DSM-5 guidelines for diagnosis of opioid use disorder require that the individual has significant impairment or distress related to opioid uses. In order to make the diagnosed two or more of eleven criteria must be present in a given year:

1. More opioids are taken than intended

2. The individual is unable to decrease the amount of opioids used

3. Large amounts of time are spent trying to obtain opioids, use opioids, or recover from taking them

4. The individual has cravings for opioids

5. Difficulty fulfilling professional duties at work or school

6. Continued use of opioids leading to social and interpersonal consequences

7. Decreased social or recreational activities

8. Using opioids despite it being physically dangerous settings

9. Continued use despite opioids worsening physical or psychological health (i.e. depression, constipation)

10. Tolerance

11. Withdrawal

In the United States, cocaine use results in about 5,000–6,000 deaths annually.

Since people buying more than they need is usual and accepted, even the most excessive behaviour takes a long time before being considered pathological. Shopping addiction generally manifests between 20–30 years old,

but is not usually detected until several years after, when the addiction has led the person to ruin and bankrupt.

There are usually two stages in coping with the problem. First, people around the addict or the health or social services detect the problem and try to treat it. When, because of the seriousness of the case, it is not possible to solve it in this way, specialised professionals, such as psychologist or psychiatrics, take part. The diagnosis and evaluation of shopping addiction is based on the analysis of confirmed behaviours and their consequences. Specific tests or questionnaires, as the FACC-II (Questionnaire on the psychological aspects of consumer addiction, debt and personal spending habits) are also used. These specific questionnaires or tests are useful in the diagnosis and evaluation of shopping addiction problems, and to drive the therapies in a proper way. FACC-II is one of the most specific and widest. The Edwards Scale is another approach which measures the tendency to compulsively buy. All these resources, as well as personal interviews of the addict and people who surround them, reports and other documents, enable knowledge of when people buy, what they buy and the methods of payment used.

Research data indicates that steroids affect the serotonin and dopamine neurotransmitter systems of the brain. In an animal study, male rats developed a conditioned place preference to testosterone injections into the nucleus accumbens, an effect blocked by dopamine antagonists, which suggests that androgen reinforcement is mediated by the brain. Moreover, testosterone appears to act through the mesolimbic dopamine system, a common substrate for drugs of abuse. Nonetheless, androgen reinforcement is not comparable to that of cocaine, nicotine, or heroin. Instead, testosterone resembles other mild reinforcers, such as caffeine, or benzodiazepines. The potential for androgen addiction remains to be determined.

Anabolic steroids are not psychoactive and cannot be detected by stimuli devices like a pupilometer which makes them hard to spot as a source of neuropsychological imbalaces in some AAS users.

Kim Janda has been working for years on a vaccination that would treat cocaine use disorders by limiting its rewarding effects.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is being studied as a treatment for cocaine addiction. So far studies have been undertaken by Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and Mexican National Institute of Psychiatry.

It is common for individuals with drugs use disorder to have other psychological problems. The terms “dual diagnosis” or “co-occurring disorders,” refer to having a mental health and substance use disorder at the same time. According to the British Association for Psychopharmacology (BAP), “symptoms of psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety and psychosis are the rule rather than the exception in patients misusing drugs and/or alcohol.”

Individuals who have a comorbid psychological disorder often have a poor prognosis if either disorder is untreated. Historically most individuals with dual diagnosis either received treatment only for one of their disorders or they didn’t receive any treatment all. However, since the 1980s, there has been a push towards integrating mental health and addiction treatment. In this method, neither condition is considered primary and both are treated simultaneously by the same provider.

A short 11-question Internet game screen called the BIGS was developed by reSTART to assist in the screening of problematic video game and Internet use.

Screening for problematic use in individuals due the ever-changing digital landscape. Researchers Northrup, Lapierre, Kirk and Rae developers of the Internet Process Addiction Test (IPAT) propose that tools measure different processes utilized over the Internet, such as video game play, social networking, sexual activity and web surfing, may be more helpful than a measure of Internet addiction itself, as the Internet is simply a medium which facilities a variety of interactions, some of which are highly addictive, and others less so.

There has been controversy over the creation of a separate category in the DSM-5 for excoriation (skin picking) disorder. Two of the main reasons for objecting to the inclusion of excoriation disorder in the DSM-5 are: (1) that excoriation disorder may just be a symptom of a different underlying disorder, e.g. OCD or BDD, and (2) that excoriation disorder is merely a bad habit and that by allowing this disorder to obtain its own separate category it would force the DSM to include a wide array of bad habits as separate syndromes, e.g., nail biting and nose-picking. Stein has argued that excoriation disorder does qualify as a separate syndrome and should be classified as its own category because: (1) excoriation disorder occurs as the primary disorder and not as a subset of a larger disorder; (2) excoriation disorder has well-defined clinical features; (3) there is gathering data on the clinical features and diagnostic criteria for this condition; (4) there is sufficient data to create this as a separate category for excoriation disorder; (5) the incidence rate for excoriation disorder is high within the population; (6) diagnostic criteria for the disease have already been proposed; (7) the classification of excoriation disorder as a separate condition would lead to better studies and better treatment outcomes; and (8) classification as a separate condition would lead to more awareness of the disorder and encourage more people to obtain treatment.

Because excoriation disorder is different from other conditions and disorders that cause picking of the skin, it is important that any diagnosis of excoriation disorder take into account various other medical conditions as possible causes before diagnosing the patient with excoriation disorder. There are a variety of conditions that cause itching and skin picking including: eczema, psoriasis, diabetes, liver disease, Hodgkin's disease, polycythemia vera, systemic lupus, and Prader-Willi syndrome.

In order to better understand excoriation disorder, researchers have developed a variety of scales to categorize skin-picking behavior. These include the Skin-Picking Impact Scale (SPIS), and The Milwaukee Inventory for the Dimensions of Adult Skin-picking. The SPIS was created to measure how skin picking affects the individual socially, behaviorally, and emotionally.

As of the release of the fifth Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in May 2013, this disorder is classified as its own separate condition under "Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders" and is termed "excoriation (skin-picking) disorder".

Some scholars believe that codependency is not a negative trait, and does not need to be treated, as it is more likely a healthy personality trait taken to excess. Codependency in nonclinical populations has some links with favourable characteristics of family functioning.

Stan Katz states that codependence is over-diagnosed, and that many people who could be helped with shorter-term treatments instead become dependent on long-term self-help programs. The language of, symptoms of, and treatment for codependence derive from the medical model suggesting a disease process underlies the behavior. However, there is no evidence that codependence is caused by a disease process.

In their book, “Attached.”, Dr. Amir Levine and Rachel S. F. Heller, address what they call the “codependency myth” by asserting that attachment theory is a more scientific and helpful model for understanding and dealing with attachment in adults.