Practice Test Geeks(CAT) Certified Addiction Technician Practice Test
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Addiction Technician Screening and Diagnosis Flashcards

7 cards from real CAT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Addiction Technician Screening and Diagnosis flashcards as text

  1. A client reports using opioids to relieve anxiety and stress rather than for pain. This pattern of use is best characterized as:

    Answer: Self-medication

    Self-medication refers to using substances to manage emotional or psychological distress rather than for their prescribed or intended purpose.

  2. Which withdrawal syndrome is considered potentially life-threatening and may require medical management in an inpatient setting?

    Answer: Alcohol withdrawal

    Alcohol withdrawal can progress to delirium tremens (DTs), causing seizures, cardiovascular instability, and death if not medically managed.

  3. Under the ASAM Criteria, which dimension addresses a client's readiness and motivation to change their substance use?

    Answer: Dimension 4 – Readiness to Change

    ASAM Dimension 4 specifically evaluates the client's readiness, motivation, and barriers to engaging in and completing treatment.

  4. A technician notices a client's pupils are constricted to pinpoints and the client is drowsy with slowed breathing. These signs are most consistent with intoxication from:

    Answer: Opioids such as heroin or fentanyl

    Opioid intoxication classically presents with miosis (pinpoint pupils), central nervous system depression, and respiratory depression.

  5. Which of the following is a hallmark feature of stimulant (cocaine/amphetamine) intoxication that differentiates it from opioid intoxication?

    Answer: Dilated pupils and elevated heart rate

    Stimulant intoxication typically produces mydriasis (dilated pupils), tachycardia, elevated blood pressure, and agitation — opposite to opioid effects.

  6. During screening, a client admits to using benzodiazepines prescribed to someone else. According to the DSM-5 framework, this constitutes:

    Answer: Nonmedical use of a prescription medication

    Using a controlled substance that was prescribed to another person is classified as nonmedical prescription drug use and is a red flag in substance use screening.

  7. A screening result that correctly identifies a person who does NOT have a substance use disorder as negative is called a:

    Answer: True negative

    A true negative occurs when someone without the disorder correctly screens negative, reflecting the test's specificity.