Outline for the Psychiatric Diagnosis

Initial Assessment

Case 10: Alcohol Use Disorder and Marital Distress

Dr. Aronson: Good afternoon, Mr. Kirk. How are you doing?

Kirk: I am doing okay.

Dr. Aronson: That is great to hear. Your wife Michelle briefly spoke to me about you forgetting things. Would you care to elaborate?

Kirk: My wife thinks I have an alcohol use disorder.

Dr. Aronson:  Do you remember when you took your first drink?

Kirk: I was in high school.

Dr. Aronson:  How often do you enjoy an alcoholic drink? Would you say, daily, weekly, monthly, occasionally, rarely, or never.

Kirk: Dr. Aronson, I love my job, but it can be very demanding. So yes, I do have a drink daily.

Dr. Aronson:  How many per day would you say that you consume? 1 to 2, 3 to 4, 5 to 6, 7 or more a day.

Kirk: Well, I may have a drink or 2 at work and maybe a drink once I get home. I would say maybe 7 or more a day.

Dr. Aronson: While our goal is to develop a balanced life in sobriety, a part of that is to maintain healthy relationships, especially with your spouse. Therefore, I would like Michelle to enter.

Kirk: I agree, it is fine with me.

Dr. Aronson:  Can you identify triggers that make you want to drink?

Kirk: I do not know. Maybe loneliness, anxiety, trying to loosen up, and or wind down.

Dr. Aronson:  What strategies can we use to avoid or manage these triggers?

Kirk: Maybe if I keep it professional and say no to dinks at that business dinner.

 

Dr. Aronson:  Are you able to develop a support system where you can turn when you are tempted to drink?

 

Kirk: Yes, my wife and kids.

 

Gorenstein, E., & Comer, J. (2015). Case studies in abnormal psychology (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers. ISBN: 9780716772736. Retrieved from  https://redshelf.comLinks Links to an external site.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Alcohol use disorder: From risk to diagnosis to recovery. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Retrieved December 15, 2022, from https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/health-professionals-communities/core-resource-on-alcohol/alcohol-use-disorder-risk-diagnosis-recovery?adlt=strict&toWww=1&redig=5350B5CFF2EC4BCC8FB12D514AB1122F