Alcohol and Drug Abuse Flashcards
(9 cards)
Maureen’s alcohol problem has cost her two jobs and a marriage. She comes to the mental health center desperately seeking help. The best plan will probably involve:
Involvement with a self-help group such as AA and continued counseling
AA provides continuous support and reinforcement. This is often necessary for clients with long-term alcohol problems.
Epidemiologic research indicates that many drug users start to use gateway substances such as alcohol, nicotine and codeine. What is the modal age for initiating gateway drug use?
Prior to puberty
As a general rule when treating individuals with serious substance problems, the social worker will recommend
- The most safe and secure setting available
- A setting with a high quality, effective and up to date program.
- The least restrictive setting that is safe and effective
- A medical solution
The correct answer is 3.
The general principle that applies when recommending treatment for any disorder is to use the least restrictive alternative that is suitable for that individual.
A behavioral treatment program, in which there are both positive and negative consequences for clients, depending on their success in remaining drug-free refers to:
contingency management treatment
Harry has a 20-year history of heroin addiction. He has overdosed on several occasions and is well-known to staff at the hospital emergency room. For many years his life has revolved around obtaining drugs. His friends are drawn from a coterie of addicts. Now at 50, Harry’s health is compromised, and he wants to change his life and reduce, but not necessarily eliminate, his dependence on drugs. He asks the hospital social worker to find a program that can help him reduce his drug use. The social worker would first:
Suggest Harry consider a methadone maintenance program to free him from continued dependence on heroin (dumb)
As treatment progresses with Ira, a computer programmer who abuses cocaine and alcohol, the social worker realizes he is highly motivated but unable to fully stop. Which cognitive-behavioral approach might the social worker use to help him?
Find out which situations seem to be associated with substance use and help Ira learn to avoid these
Between the ages of 15 and 30 Myra was addicted to heroin. She has now been drug-free for over two years and is employed. She is having serious relationship difficulties with her family, particularly her older sister and the extended family. Her friendships are brief and unsatisfying, and she angers easily when frustrated. She believes her work supervisors are unfair and overly critical. The social worker might suspect:
Myra’s long period of addiction since adolescence has led to a failure to develop age appropriate interpersonal skills.
It is not uncommon for recovering addicts to experience relationship problems. Myra’s addiction began in adolescence and her difficulties probably stem from the fact that the maturational process was suspended during her long period of addiction. She will need help in adjusting to a different and more complex set of adult behavioral rules
Persons who are substance dependent or substance abusing are likely to be at much higher risk that the general population for
- Committing suicide or violent acts against others
- Chronic heart conditions leading to congestive heart failure
- Diabetes
- Adult onset psychoses
The correct answer is 1.
Substance abusing clients are at a much higher risk of suicide than the general population. In addition, they are more likely to commit violent acts and to be the victims of violence.
Generally speaking, addicted clients have a poor treatment prognosis when
- They also have a borderline or antisocial personality disorder
- They are over 40
- They are unemployed or homeless
- They suffer from an anxiety disorder
The correct answer is 1. Certain personality disorders have poor prognoses, perhaps because clients are unlikely to experience serious anxiety about their behavior.
