Shifts in Primary drug use
Shifts in Primary drug use are there and I strongly agree that they apply. When a client is being attended it, it is inevitable that he or she is attended to in such a way that one is shifted from one level to another. This will help examine the person in question from different angles and perspectives. One can be examined depending on the drugs abused because many of them end up trying several drugs.
I strongly agree to the fact that shifts in drug use are very common among drug users. Many of them keep testing on one drug after another. And it is for this reason that they should be handled separately depending on the drug abused (Simpson 64). The focus should be put on how to handle them separately and independently because this way each individual client is attended to adequately.
It is one thing to use a drug and another to use several. In cases where several drugs are used, a client should be attended to in a very special way because such a person is at more risk of becoming an addict and also going back if proper and adequate attention is not given.
Readiness for treatment
It is not automatic that all people who have tried drugs, either gotten addicted or take them in moderation are ready for treatment. Some of them show reluctance to be helped get out of drug abuse and addiction. But studies indicate that latent variables are also constructed which can be used to represent readiness for individual treatment.
Depending on the various psychosocial as well as behavioral features that come with substance abuse, there should be laid down mechanisms that should be used to help deal with the problem of substance abuse. Just like the Likert scale, much attention should be given to the structured therapeutic processes that pose helpful individual statements that require respondents to give answers to random questions. When the questions are many and random, it is easier to keep the respondents alert in such a way that they are required to answer several questions that are not only drug related but life in general.
Levels of client anger or hostility
In most cases, it is evident that the client shows high levels of anger and hostility more so when intoxicated. This is due to the fact that the client is under the influence of drugs and leads to him or her becoming anxious. Equally, when a client has been forced to attend guidance and counseling sessions, automatically they may not like it and may therefore end up reciprocating through anger. The client should therefore be engaged in such a way that such scenarios are avoided.
If a client has been pushed to the wall during the session it is inevitable that that client will unleash bouts of anger, frustration and hostility too. It is always good for a counselor or anyone in charge to get to understand the client fully so as to know how to go about handling the client. People respond to different situation differently (Simpson 67). It is quite surprising that the way a specific client will respond to a certain situation will be different from another client. It is therefore important to first study a client before starting to handle him or her, this can be done ii scenes away from the counseling session and in a friendly and understanding manner.
Session attendance and counseling rapport
Many drug users who want to quit the abuse of drugs would wish to stop this act due to reasons that come from within them and sometimes through influence by some people in their lives. Once they begin attending counseling sessions, they may want to continue and some even feel like quitting from the very moment they begin (Simpson 66). I strongly believe that a good session attendance and counseling rapport can greatly influence a drug user to quit drug use. This is so because this way one is encouraged to continue attending the sessions which will lead to good results.
It is possible that one stops attending the counseling sessions simply because one may not have connected well with the rest of the members and the counselors. I strongly believe that if a client feels out of place and seems not to understand how the program runs, chances of quitting are very high. It is therefore upon the instructor or the management of the program that is in place to see to it that.
A good session attendance and counseling rapport can even be the main reason why a client may want to go back again and again. Definitely this will help achieve the expected result, which is, winning the battle with drugs by a client. A good rapport in this case means that a client and the counselor as well as the program get along well but if it does not, then, there will be a problem with keeping the client to attend the counseling sessions.
Please indicate Your Level of Agreement With The Following Statements
Disagree
Not Sure
Agree
Strongly Agree
I am supportive of crime
I do not like to follow conventional attitudes beliefs and behaviors
You get upset when you hear about someone who has lost everything in a natural disaster
You deserve special consideration
You were in prison because you had a run of bad luck
The real reason you were in prison is because of your race
When people tell you what to do, you become aggressive
Anything can be fixed in court if you have the right connections
Seeing someone cry makes you sad
You rationalize your irresponsible actions with statements like “Everyone else is doing it, so shouldn’t I?”
I am supportive of crime
Bankers, lawyers and politicians get away with breaking the law every day.
You have paid your dues in life and are justified in taking what you want
When not in control of a situation, you feel the need to exert power over others
When questioned about the motives for engaging in crime, you justify your behavior by pointing out how hard your life has been
You are sometimes so moved by an experience that you feel emotions that you cannot describe
You argue with others over relatively trivial matters
If someone disrespects you then you have to straighten them out even if you have to get physical with them to do it.
You like to be in control
You find yourself blaming the victims of some of your crimes.
You feel people are important to you.
1. What is the main purpose of instruments such as CAGE and TWEAK?
The main purpose of instruments such as CAGE and TWEAK is to screen and assess the alcohol consumption trend within a specific group of people at a given place and time. This is a key factor in the treatment process of alcohol abuse. They are very important in evaluating the assessing and screening measures.
2. What information do the cage and TWEAK give us?
CAGE and TWEAK gives information that will lead to doing a complete assessment and possible conclusion of the screening process. Through the test analysis of the treatment process and if possible how it should be done.
3. If you had to select one to use for your criminological research in addiction, which instrument would you select and why?
Between CAGE and TWEAK, I would prefer using CAGE to TWEAK simply because Cage can be done in sort of a self administered questionnaire that you can give the person in question. Because it is self administered, it is possible for the person in question to be truthful and not judgmental thereby giving a true picture of how he or she feels willingly.
4. Look at the actual CAGE and TWEAK instruments below. Are these useful tools in criminal justice research? Why or why not?
The CAGE and TWEAK instruments offered are very useful in criminal justice research. This is so because they help in finding and extracting more information that will be helpful in making an analysis and right conclusions in order to achieve the right results. These instruments are very helpful in finding out how a client feels and this in return helps make right judgements.
CAGE:
Please check the one response to each item that best describes how you have felt and behaved over your whole life.
Yes
No
Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?
Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?
Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or get rid of a hangover (eye opener)?
How many drinks does it take to make you feel high?
Have close friends or relatives worried or complained about your drinking in the past year?
Do you sometimes take a drink in the morning when you first get up?
Has a friend or family member ever told you about things you said or did while you were drinking that you could not remember?
Do you sometimes feel the need to cut down on your drinking?
Work Cited
Simpson, Dwayne. TCU Treatment System. Overview of Background and Structure: An
Integrated Approach to Addiction Treatment. Fort Worth: Texas Christian University.
2005.Print.
