Updated
Original VAYEMA symptom and impact self-check – not a validated scale
Stimulant use concerns
Answer the symptom statements below to see which experiences and areas of daily life you report as most affected. These are original VAYEMA questions, not a validated diagnostic scale. No clinical severity or probability score is calculated.
Answers are processed only in this page by this assessment. They are not submitted, monitored or automatically saved. No name, email or account is required. Use a private device and clear your answers when finished.
For adults aged 18 and over. This self-check cannot diagnose or rule out a condition. Concerns about a child require an age-appropriate professional assessment.
Thinking about the past four weeks, how well does each statement describe your experience?
Additional context – not included in any questionnaire score
These are original VAYEMA questions, not a diagnostic instrument or a validated severity scale. They summarise the experiences you select and do not predict a diagnosis or future harm. Background condition information; this source does not endorse this self-check.
Clarify the purpose of the appointment
You may be seeking help for a recurring pattern of non-prescribed use, concern about a prescription or symptoms after a recent episode. Explain which question brought you to the service. An appropriate assessment should identify immediate health needs and the wider clinical picture, not use a broad addiction label before considering the substance, context and consequences.
The ASAM/AAAP guideline distinguishes assessment of use disorder, intoxication and withdrawal. Ask what the appointment covers, whether medical examination is available and which situations need another service. A routine introduction about appointments is not itself a medical assessment. You can seek help without a complete explanation, and the professional should make uncertainty and next steps understandable.
Name substances and medicines as accurately as possible
Different stimulants and products can create different clinical questions. The assessor may ask about amphetamine, methamphetamine, cocaine, prescribed medicines and other products, including uncertainty about contents. Explain the route, pattern and any recent change without trying to translate everything into an exact equivalent dose. An unfamiliar product or incomplete information is something to discuss, not a reason to delay care.
Bring medication information when readily available and distinguish prescribed use from any use outside those instructions. A clinician should be able to hear both without shaming you. Our cocaine assessment guide offers more specific background where relevant. There is no need to complete multiple overlapping worksheets; a concise account of the substances and concerns can begin the conversation.
Describe control and consequences across daily life
Questions may cover taking more than intended, cravings, difficulty changing, time devoted to obtaining or recovering from use and continued use despite problems. The clinician also needs to know what remains manageable. A person may appear productive during one period while missing important responsibilities afterwards. The whole pattern matters more than whether one meeting or workday was completed successfully.
Choose a few representative examples rather than recording every incident. You might explain a repeated decision that changes once use begins or an activity you have stopped because recovery takes too much time. The understanding guide explains these patterns. An assessment should consider what you want to regain, not simply count consequences until a predetermined programme seems justified.
Map sleep, activation and the period after use
The assessor may ask about reduced sleep, increased activity, irritability, suspiciousness, fatigue and low mood, including when each appears in relation to use. These details can help distinguish intoxication, withdrawal, another mental-health condition or a combination. A single energetic or exhausted day cannot provide that history, and a short questionnaire cannot examine the person physically.
Explain shift work, travel, other medicines and how sleep changes between episodes. Do not deliberately stay awake or change doses to make symptoms clearer. If depression becomes severe or there are suicidal thoughts, communicate this directly to an appropriate professional. The current safety needs may require attention before a full history is completed. The worksheet cannot monitor mood or send an alert when a concerning answer is entered.
Medical symptoms should not disappear into the addiction label
Chest symptoms, fainting, severe headaches, seizures, overheating or significant confusion need medical consideration. Dental, nutritional, skin or infection-related concerns may also be relevant depending on the pattern. The CDC overview describes serious stimulant-related complications. A clinician should not assume that a symptom is harmless anxiety simply because the person has experienced anxiety before.
Current serious symptoms require urgent care, not a future therapy appointment. Tell the receiving team what is known about substances and medicines and identify uncertainty. Do not drive yourself while impaired or unwell. For a planned assessment, bring relevant reports where available, but ask what investigations are needed and why. More tests are not automatically a better assessment when their purpose and follow-up are unclear.
Prescribed treatment and possible ADHD need careful separation
A stimulant prescription can be appropriate for a recognised condition. It does not automatically diagnose addiction, just as a subjective response to a non-prescribed stimulant does not diagnose ADHD. The assessor should consider the original indication, how medicine is taken, benefit, adverse effects and the broader history. Concerns about misuse should not erase legitimate needs for treatment of another condition.
FDA information discusses both benefits and misuse risks. Do not stop, increase or share prescribed treatment to prepare for an appointment. Explain current difficulties to the prescriber. Where attention concerns need further assessment, ask which professional can provide it and how they will account for sleep, mood and substance effects rather than reach a conclusion from a single response.
Other substances and previous treatment inform the plan
Alcohol, opioids, sedatives, cannabis and other medicines may affect symptoms, overdose risk and treatment choices. The clinician needs the combined picture, including recent changes. Do not assume that a substance is irrelevant because it is prescribed or used only during the recovery period. Simultaneous withdrawal concerns may require specialist medical assessment rather than a collection of separate online plans.
Previous care also matters: which intervention was used, what helped, what was difficult and why it ended. An unsuccessful experience with one form of counselling does not establish that every treatment will fail. The assessment can identify whether the method addressed the actual stimulant pattern and whether access or health problems interfered. Bring records when useful, but explain your own experience as well as the names of treatments.
Understand the limits of screening and toxicology
A screening measure can organise selected concerns, while toxicology may provide information about exposure within the test’s limitations. Neither independently establishes the whole diagnosis, explains the reasons for use or determines an appropriate care setting. Ask how a proposed test will be interpreted and what the professional will do differently because of the result.
The notes here are not a validated stimulant-use-disorder scale, withdrawal score or diagnostic test. They have no threshold and cannot tell you whether medication is appropriate. The ASAM/AAAP guideline describes a broader clinical process. Repeated online testing is not a substitute for that process, especially when physical symptoms, severe mood changes or possible intoxication need direct assessment.
Ask for a recommendation with clear clinical responsibilities
After assessment, you should understand the working conclusions, any uncertainty and the proposed next action. Ask about stimulant-specific behavioural care, relevant medical treatment and how other conditions will be addressed. The recommendation should name the responsible professionals, actual appointment format, first review and likely costs. An intensive programme should explain the additional clinical work rather than rely on a label.
The treatment guide explains contingency management, psychological care and specialist medication considerations. You can ask about alternatives and suitable referral where a service does not provide a particular intervention. A score should not determine the entire plan, and an attractive outpatient format should not override a medical recommendation for a different setting.
Keep preparation manageable and protect private information
Write only what helps you begin the conversation. Avoid names and unnecessary details about other people, leave questions blank and stop if the exercise becomes burdensome. The notes are not sent to VAYEMA or stored in an inquiry record. You may review them or deliberately download a private copy, which then stays on your device. Clear the page when finished, particularly on shared equipment.
You can also attend without a worksheet. VAYEMA’s assessment pathway can discuss suitable planned care, and care coordination may help connect agreed handovers. Family support can address relatives’ own needs. Routine contact is not emergency monitoring. Current serious symptoms require direct medical help rather than waiting for a response to an online form.
Frequently asked questions about stimulant assessment
Is this a validated stimulant addiction test?
No. It is an original, unscored preparation worksheet. It helps organise a few observations for a clinician but cannot diagnose a disorder, assess intoxication or select treatment. You can seek help without completing it, and urgent symptoms should be addressed directly rather than entered into an unmonitored form.
Can prescribed stimulant use be assessed without an addiction label?
Yes. The clinician should review the indication, how the medicine is used, benefits, adverse effects and any concerns. A prescription alone does not establish addiction. Do not make medication changes to test a theory; discuss symptoms with the prescriber and ask how the relevant conditions will be assessed together.
Will the assessment also diagnose ADHD?
Not necessarily. Ask about its scope and the professional’s expertise. ADHD evaluation requires an appropriate history and consideration of other explanations, including sleep, mood and substance effects. Feeling more focused after a stimulant is not a diagnosis. A separate specialist assessment may be recommended when that question needs further work.
What if I do not know exactly what a product contained?
Say what you know and identify uncertainty. Do not guess or experiment to clarify it. The receiving clinician can consider the limits of the information and decide what examination or testing is appropriate. Missing details should not delay urgent treatment when serious physical or mental-state symptoms are present.
Can a low screening score mean it is safe to wait?
No score can provide that clearance on its own. Chest pain, seizures, severe overheating, confusion, suicidal intent or inability to stay safe requires appropriate direct help. The current clinical situation, other substances and medical history matter, even when a previous questionnaire or test seemed reassuring.
What should I leave the appointment knowing?
You should understand the working assessment, immediate priorities, recommended next step and relevant alternatives. Ask who provides care, what it involves, how costs are agreed and when it is reviewed. A diagnosis or a list of possible therapies is not enough without clear practical responsibilities and contact arrangements.
Resources and references
[1] ASAM/AAAP: Stimulant use disorder guideline
[2] CDC: Stimulant health effects and overdose prevention