Assessments

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Comprehensive assessments lead to customized treatments

Addiction does not live in isolation. There are many factors that affect whether someone will become addicted to drugs or alcohol. Because different substances damage different parts of the brain and the effects vary from person to person, treatment should never be one-size-fits-all.

Even though other providers follow our lead in embracing addiction as a chronic brain disease, Enterhealth remains light years ahead of other addiction treatment providers in offering unique combinations of effective treatments that bring world-class substance abuse specialists and industry-leading assessment tools together under one coordinated, full-time evaluation team. This collaborative and integrated care is a powerful differentiator for achieving Enterhealth’s superior treatment outcomes. It means our patients have greater access to the right professionals, who have the right tools to more thoroughly assess your specific addiction scenario and create the optimal path forward for your healing.

Enterhealth’s multipoint and proprietary assessment protocol provides a 360-degree deep dive into your substance addiction issues with benchmarks established pre- and post-treatment to set goals for achievable success.

Substance abuse type and severity

Science shows us that different substances damage different areas of the brain, and each person feels addiction’s effects differently. Our one-on-one in-depth consultations and comprehensive evaluation protocols look at the type and severity of your substance issues so we can customize treatment based on your substance choice, frequency, use duration, and any other factors associated with your drug, alcohol, psychiatric, or medical history.

Neuropsychological

Enterhealth performs in-depth, research-validated standardized testing to reveal which specific parts of your brain and thinking processes are affected by addiction. This critical knowledge of your condition informs how we approach your treatment, both short- and long-term, to accelerate your brain’s healing. This evaluation is beneficial for individuals who have difficulties with cognitive abilities resulting from substance abuse or medical conditions like head injury, stroke, cirrhosis of the liver, attention deficit disorder/hyperactivity disorder (ADD/HD) and depression. The assessment tracks the following functional markers:

Medical/physical

Enterhealth’s full-time onsite team of physicians (MD) and nurses perform thorough labs and other testing to analyze medical or physical factors that contribute to addiction. When needed, we partner with leading healthcare systems and renowned medical/brain specialists in some cases, including neurologists, cardiologists, gastroenterologists, hepatologists, endocrinologists and other experts. Labs and tests include:

Blood work
Electrocardiogram (EKG)
Urinalysis
Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Drug addiction can have a critical impact on brain chemistry and activity, causing poor synchrony and deficiencies in alpha EEG activity. EEG biofeedback gives Enterhealth professionals, trained in neurofeedback, the ability to decipher abnormal from healthy brain wave patterns and focus treatment protocols to restore optimal balance in the affected areas.  Neurofeedback gives our professionals the tools to effectively recalibrate the brain to advance treatment and healing. 

Psychiatric (Dual Diagnosis Specialists)

The majority of substance addiction cases co-occur with other psychiatric illnesses. Enterhealth’s dual diagnosis capabilities provide us greater insight into these cause-and-effect relationships. Our team of MDs, psychiatrists, psychologists, and Master’s Level Therapists work in tandem to diagnose and treat disorders such as:

Major depression
Anxiety
Bipolar (manic depression/ mood swings)
Personality disorders
Psychosis
Sleep disorders
Suicidal thoughts
PTSD/Traumatic experiences
Eating disorders, including weight-loss surgery patients

Emotional

Substance abusers are often trapped on an emotional rollercoaster that can deepen as the addiction’s strength and chaos grows. Our Master’s Level and PhD Level Therapists work to determine if patients are susceptible to the following emotions that often accompany addiction and can block healing:

Shame
Guilt
Worthlessness/Low self-esteem
Anger/Aggression/Irritability

Behavioral

Enterhealth’s assessment protocol works to pinpoint behavioral issues associated with addiction. Testing and evaluations help paint a holistic picture that addresses common behavioral problems, including:

Interpersonal and Family Relationships

We perform addiction-related quality of life assessments that focus on the family and social dynamics of the individual and how those areas contribute to and are affected by addiction. Our clinical team seeks to identify and understand:

Family Dysfunction
Unhealthy family dynamics/rules for living
Dysfunctional family communication styles
Historical family patterns

Interpersonal Social Relationships

Because humans are all social beings, Enterhealth’s assessment protocol analyzes each patient’s social connections to determine how certain factors contribute to their addiction.

Evaluate a patient’s total support system
Feelings of isolation
Friend group who may be users
Friend group who are not users
Healthy relationships vs. unhealthy relationships

Spiritual

Spirituality is not always about religion but reflects the meaning and value we place on life. Helping patients understand this important life dimension and how it relates to recovery is another important part of our assessment program.

Exploring the spiritual connection in the past and present
Identifying if there is a role for spirituality in recovery

Quality of Life (QOL)

How patients self-assess their quality of life plays a huge role in addiction and also in their ability to recover. Part of our treatment outcomes look at the QOL levels surrounding how a patient perceives his/her mental and physical health, role in family, work and community and an overall lifestyle outlook.