Addiction Counseling: A Psychological Analysis

Substance abuse as well as addiction is a topic many people choose to ignore or tend to believe that it does not affect them. Addiction itself does not seek out certain types of people but can affect anyone, at any time, for any reason. Stress, per pressure, financial trouble, even genetics all play a role in substance abuse and addiction. Unlike others, I don’t see substance abusers as weak willed but instead in need of guidance and someone to talk to about their problems. That is why, when I decided to go to school I was very interested in becoming an Addiction Counselor. I am one of those types of people who really enjoy learning new things and coming up with solutions for myself or others. The biggest reason that I decided to go to college was to find a job that I was actually fascinated with and wouldn’t dread going to work day in and day out. The biggest concern I have for my future job is stability and job availability. One area that I don’t really find high on my priority list is the money. I want to be able to make enough that I can survive and even thrive at times but I’m not looking for a job just for the financial gain. If I’m going to spend my life in a working profession it might as well be doing something I love.

D-The patient arrived late to her session due to morning traffic. The patient was advised that she will transferred to another counselor caseload due to this writer's own caseload numbers. The patient updated this writer on her infant daughter progress as the child is now 9lbs and eats a lot which turned into a laughter in the session. Addressing her methadone dose, the patient requested to decrease her methadone by 2mgs as she wishes to be stabilized on a lower dose. This writer completed the HCRC internal form. Then the conversation shifted about the patient goals of wanting to work as a substance abuse counselor.

When a therapist honors resistance, it allows the client to have an opportunity to not have to struggle with the feeling of having to do the work alone or of being engulfed with the pain. Sack Lentz (2016) states “as in all successful work with resistance, we can hope to see in our patient’s greater freedom and flexibility” (p. 9). Sophie entered treatment with the belief that therapy did not work and that she did not need it. The therapist allowed her to have this belief, and just encouraged her to keep coming for her evaluation and slowly gained her trust. Once Sophie chooses to stay in therapy, the hard work begins. The therapist begins to use Sophie’s resistance as an indictor that there is a deep wound

Michael Doe is a 21 year old methadone patient. He presented at a Methadone Treatment Center with a 3 year history of opioid prescription use (egg. Percocet).

The Global Criteria for the 12 Core Functions of the Substance Abuse Counselor, by John Herman, defines treatment planning as the process by which the counselor and client identify and rank problems, establish immediate and long-term goals, and decide on the treatment resources to be utilized.  Treatment planning begins as soon as initial assessments are completed.

October 24th, I visited Bridgeway Recovery Center in Salem. This is a big program that helps people with serious addiction, either substance addiction or gambling addiction. And it is the second of the 100 best nonprofit Oregon business in 2015.

Once someone enters treatment, there are a number of addiction recovery options that they may be given. Since every addiction is different, patients are given the unique blend of treatment options that work best for their circumstance. Most patients will need to start by going into a detox program. Afterward, rehab may include options like counseling, peer support and relapse prevention.

“Addiction and Substance Abuse.” Issues & Controversies. Infobase Learning, 19 Nov. 2012. Web. 20 July 2016. infobaselearning.com. The argument is about the “War on Drugs” and if it is working. One side of the argument thinks that by not funding the “War on Drugs” drugs would become uncontrolled. They believe that by stopping the war on drugs it would cost a lot more money in lost productivity and crime rate. They state that rehabilitation can occur while the person in in jail, and it should not substitute their punishment. While the other side believes that though we have thrown billions of dollars into this war on drugs it has shown no improvement whatsoever. They believe that by legalizing drugs the government can better regulate

When assessing individuals for co-occurring disorders there are two cross-cutting issues that must be addressed as an addiction counselor. The first most important cross-cutting issue to identify is suicidality. It is considered more a behavior that is high risk, than a mental health disorder. Suicidality has shown through research that those who commit suicide have substance abuse or co-occurring disorders which can be diagnosed early. Most common among clients is serious depression (U.S. Public Health Service 1999), brought on by substance abuse or aggravated by suicidal ideations or intentions of suicide, (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 2005, Chapter8 p. 214). This is why it’s important that counselors screen clients, especially those with co-occurring disorders which can double the possibility of suicide. Counselors must have a good understanding of their agency’s protocol for those identified as suicidal. The agency should have a process for identifying, confirming, and some type of established referral, or treatment process for clients who may be suicidal. Counselors need to be knowledgeable of the following facts. A major factor risk in suicide, is alcohol abuse or drug abuse which would include people with co-occurring disorders and the general public. Suicide is identifiable with 25 to 50 percent of the population in alcohol abuse, and that 5 to 27 percent include suicidal deaths which are also related to alcohol abuse. There is also a lifetime suicide risk

1. Which theory of addiction or counseling is most attractive to you and why? My favorite theory of addiction from the video (#5 from the video) is the Mental Health Theory of Addiction. The existence of trauma in the history of most addicts personal lives and in their family systems contributes most heavily to the initial motivation for substance use - it is self medication - masking internal fears, emotional pain, shame, low-self esteem, and the follow-on manifestations:  anxiety, anger, depression.

When I was younger my biggest passion was helping animals and the ones that I was closest too. If I did not put my effort into school, maintaining my grades and school work I was not allowed to leave the house. Which meant I would not be able to find animals who needed my attention and spend time with my friends or family. As I continue my education, school work was becoming more than just an everyday need in life but it became a passion to me. To learn so much about the things I loved I had to learn to do them. The different emotion I felt is what captured my attention, I was thrilled to learn about the emotional state. As I continue my undergraduate work and I progressed with it, I found I had bigger interests in Counseling. I begin motivating myself in my psychology work not only at school but at home too.

In Addiction Training in Clinical Psychology: Are We Keeping up With the Rising Epidemic?, the authors and researchers discuss clinical psychology and its effectiveness when dealing with addiction. Clinical psychologists have always had an interest in addiction and its treatments. With treatments being focused into evidence-based aspects, the American Psychological Association and the Nation Institutes of Health formed programs such as the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Programs like the NIAAA and NIDA focused on alcohol and substance abuse and how different treatments worked and their effectiveness. Grants had been offered for psychology graduate students in

Addiction- a primary, chronic, neurobiologic disease, with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. It is characterized by behaviors that include one or more of the following: impaired control over drug use, compulsive use, continued use despite harm, and craving. The difference between addiction and abuse is often times unclear. It’s a difficult call to make as a family member or a close friend that is dealing with a person like this in their life, but ultimately it is a call that only the addict can make for themselves. There are tons of different sources and tests and questions out there that can be done that can

In Counseling for Alcohol and Drug Abuse, the need to use different techniques is an integral part of the process. Working with an individual that is either entering into recovery or actively in recovery, the clinician must take their time with introducing the 12 Steps. The individual may not be open to the 12 Step philosophies at the onset. Addiction is very complex and actively affects the person on a daily basis; therefore, it is so important to start from the beginning of counseling to create a structured program.

Drug addiction is one of society 's biggest problems and it is rampant among teenagers and young adults and one of the most abused drugs is marijuana. Cannabis sativa or marijuana usually grows throughout tropical and temperate climates and then plant 's stems, leaves, flowers, and seeds are then dried. What attracts to most users is the mind altering effect these parts produce which is addictive to some extent. It is usually smoked as cigarette, or in a pipe. It is also smoked in blunts, in which cigars will be emptied of tobacco and refill with marijuana or sometimes it is combined with another drug. It can also be brewed as tea or mixed in food. Hashis is a more concentrated, resinous form which is sticky black liquid, hash oil. The