Case Study: Depression And Substance Abuse

This pattern often encourages people to drink more to keep the buzz going." ( Net Biz Mentor ). When people get like that they usually get a little bolder and want to do normal tasks and routines like driving a motorized vehicle. The effects of alcohol result in poor coordination, slurred speech, double vision, decrease of self-control, lost of consciousness and maybe even death.

"After drinking people usually feel pleasure and become talkative at first. These feelings are usually replaced by drowsiness as the alcohol is eliminated from the body, and the drinker may then become withdrawn. This pattern often encourages people to drink more to keep the buzz going." ( Net Biz Mentor ). When people get like that they usually get a little bolder and want to do normal tasks and routines like driving a motorized vehicle. The effects of alcohol result in poor coordination, slurred speech, double vision, decrease of self-control, lost of consciousness and maybe even death.

Alcohol impairs judgment, memory, concentration and coordination, as well as inducing extreme mood swings and emotional

D.D. is a 50-year-old, African American male presenting with a number of anxiety and depressive symptoms. The client reports that he came to counseling for “extra support and someone to talk to.” D.D. has been struggling with mental health issues since he was young. Since the age of 15 he has been hospitalized on and off for “hearing voices.” In the early 1980’s he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and prescribed Risperdal to treat the symptoms. Since then, D.D. has been in a variety of mental health settings, including hospitals, day programs, and outpatient treatment. The client has an extensive alcohol and drug use history that he believes impacted his Schizophrenia. In the early 1980’s the client would use alcohol every day “to avoid the voices,” drinking “anything he could get his hands on.” He was also heavily involved with drugs at that time and regularly used marijuana, PCP, cocaine, and heroine. In 2000, the client was sentenced to eight years in jail for four bank robberies. While in jail, D.D. received mental health treatment and alcohol and drug treatment, which was greatly beneficial. When the client was released from jail in 2008, he was drug and alcohol free and was taken off of Risperdal.

Alcohol can cause alterations in the structure, and the consequences may be evident beyond adolescence. Even though alcohol appears to be a stimulant, really it is a central nervous system depressant, depressing the brains inhibition control center (“too smart to start”). Neuron connectivity is vital to every human. Connectivity can be slowed down by alcohol consumption, which leads the person to think, speak, and move slower (“too smart to start”). Long term effects include memory loss and continuity of poor judgement. The cerebral cortex works with the senses; when the senses are debilitated, information is forgotten and senses do not function properly. The hippocampus regulates a person’s memories. When consuming too much alcohol, or even just one or two drinks, the hippocampus will damage, and a person will struggle remembering minor and large details. Teenagers often gloat over not being able to remember the night before. Even though their night may have been an “awesome blackout” their hippocampus has already been permanently damaged. The person now, can not hold on to knowledge and learn the same as before. The cerebellum controls coordination, thoughts and awareness (“too smart to start”). On most occasions, people have problems with these skills when consuming alcohol. In grade school, D.A.R.E. representatives brought “drunk goggles” to school. Studies show that alcoholism in the cerebellum

Drinking can cause a person to have a complete personality change and become violent or hostile after drinking. They may also become irritable or panicky during times when a drink is expected. An alcoholic may drink to the point of black out; this is where they don’t remember what they’ve done or said that happened during a bout of drinking. A definite red flag for alcoholism is when a person has to have to drink in the morning when they first wake up.

Recurrent arguments or fights with family members or friends … Temporary blackouts or memory loss … Continuing use of alcohol to relax, to cheer up, to sleep, to deal with problems, or to feel "normal" … Headache, anxiety, insomnia, nausea, or other unpleasant symptoms when one stops drinking …

Alcohol results in unstable movement, and it changes an individual’s awareness and doesn’t let them think clearly and distorts their judgment, black outs and impairs their vision and hearing. Depressants, back in the day were used as a sleep aid. An overconsumption of alcohol can lead to the substance becoming a depressant. There are many different forms and types of alcohol but the ethanol is what causes an individual to become addicted to drinking. The effects that alcohol has on the central nervous system starts When alcohol arrives in the brain it binds with the GABA receptors that are in charge of transmitting information from each synapse so it prevents the GABA from following through with transmitting information. And it also fixes itself with glutamate, thus causing the glutamate to not recycle through the cell. This slows everything down leading the individual to react slowly to things and causes decreased cognitive function, decreased reflexes, and decreased coordination. Which then causes the individual to have impaired judgment and decision making due the brains receptor sites being blocked by the alcohol (Sullivan, Harris, & Pfefferbaum, 2010). The larger the dose of alcohol the more extreme the effects are. With a larger dose of alcohol, the individual has very poor fine motor skills and is emotional and seizures are likely. The rest of the alcohol goes through the liver and metabolizes breaking down the toxicity within your body but the more alcohol that the individual drinks the harder it is on their liver which can also cause liver failure (Capuzzi & Stauffer,

After alcohol reaches the brain, it numbs the frontal lobe, which has direct control over the judgment, visual perception and decision making skills. Scientists believe this is what makes alcoholics believe they can conquer any task put before them. After drinking a good number of drinks everyday over a long period of time, many things can happen. Cirrhosis of the liver can occur, which means the liver tissues become hardened. Scientists also report that irreversible brain damage can occur before cirrhosis of the liver is even detected. Also, cancer of the liver, mouth, esophagus as well as lungs and pancreatic cancer often occur as a result of alcoholism. Alcohol also has an affect on the mind as well as the body. Alcoholics often report that they feel inferior to people and believe they can do anything. Many people believe that alcohol acts as a "social lubricant." Increased social pleasures, assertiveness talkativeness and even happiness are all expected by many, when they drink in these situations. Alcohol is said to reduce tension and anxiety. This in turn allows drinkers to feel more relaxed and comfortable in social situations. However, this also encourages the drinker to drink more when under more stress.

The following essay is a case study of a client named John who is suffering from major depression and was sent to see me for treatment by his concerned wife. I will provide brief background information about John then further discuss interventions and strategies I believe can be applied in each session with my client in order to make John's life more manageable. In the essay, I will be writing as the therapist, and the sessions are based on a ten week period.

That scenario shows only a few of the side effects alcohol can cause to a person. Alcohol creates a disruption regarding the connection of the brain. The brain controls physical and psychological actions. Many people do not think about the possible outcomes that alcohol can cause to themselves. Most american’s drink occasionally and some frequently.

My current client is a miss Demetria Devonne (Demi) Lovato, age 18, date of birth August 20, 1992. Her current profession is singer/songwriter/actress for Disney Channel and tours throughout the year promoting her albums. Demi came to me after an impromptu intervention held by her mom and step father after an altercation with one of her backup dancers on tour (Russo 2012). After talking and assessing Demi it was evident she had self-medication and substance abuse problems, a severe eating disorder, bipolar type II disorder, and the scars of her wrists showed signs of self-mutilation.

Alcohol is a substance that has numerous diverse affects on the body-both positive and negative. Alcohol not only kills brain cells, but when taken in profusion it has almost no constructive affects. Sure it can make one overlook his/her problems, but the consequences of drinking in excess far outweigh the benefits. It is not a crime to get drunk, however alcohol will almost always cause one to conduct them self in a way he or she would not normally behave. For instance, a sober man will not usually drive ninety-five mph down I-95, however, after consuming a good amount of alcohol, his eyesight, judgement, reflexes and abilities are hindered to the point that he feels

Additionally, like many other drug abusers, alcoholics often drink hoping to "drown' anxious or depressed feelings. Some alcoholics drink to reduce strong inhibitions or guilt about expressing negative feelings.

While drinking might make you feel good now, if you abuse that alcohol it may lead to serious complications later. Heavy drinking is defined as consuming four or more drinks in a day for women and five or more drinks in a day for men (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010). Alcohol is considered a depressant, so it is only seen fit that one of the chief effects of alcohol on the brain is to depress central nervous system functioning. In turn it may be why major depressive disorders occur in those who abuse alcohol. If the alcohol abuse continues over a period it intensifies into an alcohol dependency. Alcohol has effects on the body both mentally and physically. After a certain limit alcohol will slur your speech, increase your reaction time, and make you lose co-ordination. Alcohol consumption, particularly long-term alcohol dependence has many physiological ricks to consider, such as permanent damage to the brain, alcoholic liver disease, pancreatitis, alcohol poisoning