Recommendation for Treatment
The client currently exhibits serious drug abuse symptoms, especially because of the needle tracks on his left arm. The client, however, denies having injected himself with a drug. He tends to under-estimate the impact of chemical abuse on his body, and I recommend that he receives counseling to help him deal with the situation rather than live in denial. This is because drug abuse can cause death if not addressed early. The client admits to having used other drugs such as cannabis sativa, cocaine, alcohol, and methamphetamines. These drugs are harmful to the body. The client also admits to having committed various crimes while under the influence of these drugs. The client needs to attend alcohol and drug abuse classes to address the problem.
The client needs psychological treatment to address the anxiety disorder that is evident from his body language during the interview. Treatment enables a person to identify and understand why he or she feels or acts in ways that are distressing, and how to correct this behavior (Arlons & Van, 2005, p.19). The client denies that the marks on his arm and the frequent scratching of the hand are because of substance abuse, and argues that they are caused by a flee infection from his dog. The treatment, though gradual, is essential because it will help him quit drugs, and restructure his life by taking responsibility for his actions.
Behavioral therapy will be relevant to the client as it aims at rectifying an individual’s character and responses to stimuli. The therapy will encourage interactions between the client and his father, whom he has problems relating with now. The client has admitted to having problems in relating with his father, and has been charged before for breaking into peoples’ houses and for simple battery. Dialectical behavior therapy will assist the client to be responsible of his emotions when interacting with others.
My recommendations on alcohol and drug abuse counseling are because the client has serious symptoms of drug abuse. He has physical signs of excessive substance abuse as he frequently scratches his right arm where there are needle tracks. He admits to having started abusing drugs at the young age of thirteen years. The client may not be aware of the severe consequences of drug abuse since he has never received counseling for his addiction. Early treatment enables a person to prevent drug related diseases such as high blood pressure, hangovers, liver illnesses, and heart or respiratory system failure (Henderson, 2005, p.25).
Counseling programs will help the client to concentrate on his work and family activities. The program will offer guidelines on how to control the drug abuse and live an alcohol-free life. According to the interview, the client’s social maturity and reliability is questionable. This is due to over-reliance on drugs, which alters a person’s character. It is crucial to identify the key causes of the client’s drug problem because his immediate family members do not use drugs. The client states that he has no close friends, which may have contributed to loneliness, and consequently a reason for his behavior. Friends play a major role in an individual’s life; they help in reinforcing positive traits, and correcting a person’s mistakes such as drug abuse and irresponsible drinking habits.
The psychological treatment will help the client to gain a clear understanding on his roles in society. The poor relationship with the father will change once the client gets knowledge on how to deal with the father’s actions. Dialectical therapy will enable the client to be friendly to other people apart from his family members. The client has experienced problems at the workplace, which is attributable to his antisocial behavior towards other people other than his family members. Psychological treatment seeks to help a person to overcome denial in his or her behavior. The client denies being bothered by his current employment problems and does not see the need for counseling. He argues that he should not be counseled on dangers of alcohol consumption and there should be moderate counseling on drugs. These arguments are made the client despite exhibiting serious symptoms of substance abuse, which are harmful to his body.
The behavior therapy seeks to improve a person’s character to enhance a self-driven successful life (Craighead, & Nemeroff, 2001, p.15). The client agrees that he had been charged for battery and that he had serious problems relating to his father. A father is a vital figure in modeling a person’s character, and it is, therefore, recommendable to mend the relationship between the client and his father. His response during the interview session is not reliable as he lies in some cases, for instance the cause of itchiness on his right arm. The client has an extensive criminal record, which is an indication of a negative reputation. The applied behavior analysis, a part of behavior therapy seeks to modify an individual’s behavior after determining the causes of inappropriate actions.
The client will reform and live a better life if gets access to the recommended treatment. He is 30 years old and assumes various responsibilities such as taking care of his family. It is essential that he get the recommended treatment to help him restructure his life. The client should avoid alcohol and drug abuse, and focus on living a healthy life. Living a drug-free life will help him avoid other crimes such as battery and breaking into peoples’ premises.
References
Craighead, W. E., & Nemeroff, C. B. (2001). The Corsini encyclopedia of psychology and behavioral science. New York: Wiley.
Henderson, H. (2005). Drug abuse. New York: Facts On File.
Orlans, V., & Van, S. S. (2009). A short introduction to counselling psychology. Los Angeles: SAGE.
