Assessing Clients with Addictive Disorders
Name
Walden University
NURS-6640N
Instructor
2020
Introduction
Addiction disorders are associated with other common conditions in the central nervous
system that cause the same mechanisms, but are not limited to substances-related behaviors
(DSM-5, 2013).
This is normal in the US Wheeler, (2014), it exists in nearly 8.5% of people 18 years of
age and older (Wheeler, 2014). Indeed, it is a concern for alcohol and the continued use of
alcohol in lieu of drug issues. One indicator of alcoholism is drinking more and withdrawal
symptoms when one reduces or stops drinking.
First episode
Mr. and Mrs. Levy 's case seems like every couple have a misunderstanding in their lives.
As the video progresses, Mr. Levy experiences a condition in mental health because of the list of
symptoms he described and the deployment in Iraq.
Mr. Levy says that after his trip to Iraq, he is sick. His social life is affected since he
knows he has little to live for. Ms. Levy, on the other hand, views her husband as an alcoholic
whose actions hurts his relationships with his family.
Almost all the problems of this family are link to alcohol thereby killing and eating away
a meaningful marriage and children’s relationships (Wheeler, 2014). This can be done through
generating emotional chaos for those who we like.
Second episode
The social worker addresses the latest case she receives from her boss. Before holding an
initial session, the social worker had prior thoughts about the Levy situation. I agree with what
the supervisor said about understanding the client in order to consider them before the operation
is carried out. For fact, cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for war veterans with PTSD is the best
initial care. This first treatment line for PTSD is CBT, which can be taken into consideration
prior to the application of antidepressants (Wheeler, 2014).
The supervisor also said that evidenced based practices should first be examined before
alternative methods are implemented. CBT, which is evidence of the use of long-term exposure,
has been shown to decrease the symptoms of PTSD veterans (Wheeler, 2014). Treatment is
intended to improve patient symptoms and so taking a risk of unproven procedure may lead to a
potential breakdown and disconnection with the patient.
Third episode
The psychiatrist remained silent and listened carefully to the story of Mr. Levy. The
counseling method, instructions and responses demonstrated empathy interacted with appropriate
reactions. The psychiatrist helped the client to recognize his trauma-related symptoms such as
anxiety, panic and rapid respiration. She provided a technique to correctly change his pace.
Finally, she gave Mr. Levy exposure therapy (ET) when the trust was built and the client
welcomed it. The efficacy of ET in PTSD has been demonstrated by evidence-based literature.
After-traumatic stress disorder (PSD) is a rising and widespread problem for mental
wellbeing that medical practitioners experience. PTSD is described as a 'trauma and stress-
related condition which can be direct or obscured. Sources such as death threats, life-threatening
injuries, and sexual harassment represent these harmful circumstances (DSM-V, 2013). Similar
problems such as "earthquakes, explosions, floods, tsunamis, and tornadoes," war and domestic
violence may cause the PTSD development have been reported by Lancaster, Teeters, Gros, and
Back (2016).
The evidence is positive that trauma-focused behavioral therapy is effective at treating
the symptoms of PTSD as recommended by Mr. Levy's psychiatrist. Watkins, Sprang, &
Rothbaum, (2018) is one of the recovery strategies for military service-related trauma, including
long-term exposure care funded by the U.S. Psychological Association (APA) and Veteran
Affairs Department. The results show that PE enables the client to modify the fear exposure
stored in the memory and to adapt without causing disease to the changes. Furthermore, the PE
approach helps patients activate their unwelcome memory and encourages new information to
replace negative symptoms such as terror, anxiety and restlessness.
Fourth episode
Upon disclosing the traumatic experience of his platoon officer Kurt, Mr. Levy experienced it; I
would tell him that he is safe, show compassion and reassure him that he has control over his
life. I will also recommend researching pharmacological solutions to help relieve his anxiety and
his sleep deprivation. Reports have shown to demonstrate that some 70-87% of patients have
PTSD symptoms (i.e. hallucinations and disturbed sleep) (Reiter 2015). Mr. Levy is open to
suggestions to try to help him get his life back under control.
Fifth episode
Therapists are sensitive and compassionate. I am not surprised that the therapist is so empathetic
that counter-transfer is possible. The contra transference in the practice of a physician has been
described by Gait & Halewood (2019) as a dichotomy with both positive and negative
consequences. This can provide the therapist-client relationship with helpful information. If the
emotion and thoughts are not known, the therapy may be unsuccessful.
References
Gait, S. & Halewood, A.F(2019)FDeveloping countertransference awareness as a therapist in
training: The role of containing contexts,FPsychodynamic Practice,F25:3,F256-
272,FDOI:F10.1080/14753634.2019.1643961
Lancaster, C. L., Teeters, J. B., Gros, D. F., & Back, S. E. (2016). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder:
Overview of Evidence-Based Assessment and Treatment. Journal of clinical medicine,
5(11), 105. doi:10.3390/jcm5110105
Reiter, K. (2015, November 2). The Treatment of Sleep Disturbances in the PTSD Patient.
University of Ottawa Journal of Medicine, 5.
http://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.18192/uojm.v5i2.1373
Wheeler, K. (2014). Psychotherapy for the advanced practice psychiatric nurse: A how-to guide
for evidence-based practice (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company,
LLC.
