Carol has had a history of "at risk" behaviors including promiscuity, drug and alcohol use, petty theft and relationships with inappropriate individuals. At twenty-four years of age she often uses drugs and alcohol to suppress feelings of depression, inadequacy and isolation and she has considered suicide on a number of occasions. She has managed to avoid jail time because of parental intervention and to date has not become pregnant or suffered any negative health problems due to her promiscuity, however her self-abuse with alcohol and drugs does increase when she is depressed, as do her thoughts of suicide. It is assumed that Carol is suffering from both substance abuse and a mood disorder.
[...] In particular the use of a number of different therapy/intervention program types to create a client- specific program of treatment seems to be more effective in providing positive long-term outcomes (Hettema, Steele & Miller, 2004). References DiClemente, C. C. (2003). Addiction and change: How addictions develop and addicted people recover. New York: Guilford Press. Donovan, D. M., & Marlett, G. A. (Eds.). (2005). Assessment of addictive behaviors (2nd Ed.). New York: Guilford Press. Hester, R. [...]
[...] Tevyaw & Monti, (2004) noted in their study of substance abuse in adolescents that it was difficult to fully appreciate mental health issues whilst the subjects were under the influence of long-term substance abuse. At this point there is no way of knowing how much of Carol's depression, thoughts of suicide and other at risk behaviors are a result of a loss of inhibitions caused through alcohol and drug use, or if they are part of a deeper psychological and/or chemical imbalance problem. [...]
[...] K., & Miller, W. R. (2001). Handbook of alcoholism treatment approaches. Effective alternatives (3rd Ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Hettema, J., Steele, J., Miller, W.R. (2004). Motivational Interviewing. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology 91-111 Martino, S. (2007). Contemplating the use [...]
[...] Conclusion Carol's case is a clear illustration of why some methods of alcohol treatment and intervention are not working for the high number of clients that go through those processes. Hester and Miller (2001) in particular have provided extensive evidence as to why many of the established methods of treatment are not helpful in long-term success with breaking addictive behaviors. One of the reasons this is a problem is because each case of addiction is personal to the individual who suffers from it and as such it makes sense that an individual intervention and treatment method is put in place to meet individual client concerns. [...]
[...] Depression and Suicidal Tendencies: The case notes indicate that much of Carol's depression is the result of failed relationships, and that her intake of alcohol and drugs increases during the times she is depressed. She admits having trouble with being alone. She has contemplated suicide more than once, but to date any suicide attempt seems limited to her at risk behavior pattern. Erratic Employment Patterns: Carol was apparently very academically minded until her last year of high school. Since leaving school she has had a number of minimum wage jobs that she has either quit because she was ‘bored' or was fired from because of her drinking. [...]
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