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Feb 20, 2024

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1 7-2 Case Study: Final Paper Sarah Villanueva PSY-200 Foundations of Addictions Southern New Hampshire University Professor Wills December 10, 2023

2 7-2 Case Study: Final Paper Client Information The client is a 66-year-old male name Robert who lives in a large city on the West Coast. Robert has been retired for the past 4 years so he is not currently working. He has been married to Colleen for 44 years and they have lived in the same house for the past 35 years. They both raised their two daughters named Harriet and Liz along with numerous pets. Some things have changed in their marriage, for example sleeping in separate bedrooms. The client is addicted to alcohol and has been having health problems because of the years of drinking. Assessment Alcohol use disorder also known as AUD is a condition characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control the use of consuming alcohol. Alcohol is considered a psychological addiction which can also produce physical dependency. This disorder has a great effect on the brain which can produce a negative bluntness feeling and progressive changes may occur in the structure and function of their brains. An individual that suffers from alcohol disorder can continue the cycle of drinking when coping with stress because it will provide a temporary relief from emotional discomfort. The type of environment the client spends his time in is by himself. In the report it says that the client and his wife sleep in sperate rooms and he is retired now. Thers is family support within his family. The family members that are listed in report are older sister Marsha, older brother Franz, younger brother Bill, wife Colleen, oldest daughter Harriet, younger daughter Liz, nephew Mark, long-time co-worker friend Aruther and friend Terry. Everyone in the report does

3 have concerns and feelings for Robert’s addiction. The client’s history does state that there is more information gathered but was not included. Therefore, can not indicate if the client is around friends who are consuming alcohol. The client’s motivation level for getting help is high. He cried during the intervention when everybody was reading their letters and within 45 minutes of completing the intervention Robert was on his way to treatment. There is a sense of hope because he was not hesitant to get help to his recovery process. Addiction Information Alcohol addiction is considered a substance addiction. This is a neuropsychiatric disorder that is characterized by recurring desire to consume alcohol despite damaging consequences. A basic concept in the neurobiology of addiction is the “reward pathway.” The brain comprises the areas most involved in addiction. “The brain’s limbic system is home to the areas of the brain thought to make up the reward pathway-the ventral tegmental area (VTA), nucleus accumbens, and the prefrontal cortex” ( Capuzzi and Stauffer, 2019 ). “When stimuli activate these particular areas of the brain, pleasurable sensations are produced” ( Capuzzi and Stauffer, 2019 ). Neurotransmitters which are chemical messengers play a critical role in transmitting information between neurons through synapses ( Capuzzi and Stauffer, 2019 ). “Alcohol impairs memory by interfering with the functions of glutamate” ( Capuzzi and Stauffer, 2019 ). Alcohol targets Gamma Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) receptors and mimics the effect of the neurotransmitter by relaxing the body and mind. In the beginning when family and friends were role playing on how the intervention would happen, they each read their letters to one another. Harriet the oldest daughter stated that if

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