An Assignment Submitted by
History of the Client
The client’s name is Logan Edward, who is 32 years old male living in the New York City. Initially, the client was born in San Diego, CA, but he moved to NYC after the divorce of his parents. Edward has one brother and a mother; he does not communicate with his father. He has been married and divorced twice; he is single now. The client has one child, son Eric, from the second marriage. Edward is a college drop-out, yet he decided to join the armed forces afterward and spent 6 years in service as a sniper. During his years in service, the client went two times in Iraq and was discharged honorably. At the same time, after the military service, Edward could not find a stable job usually working in the field of construction. As a result, he is currently unemployed and has been such for three months. Moreover, he is about to lose his housing because of the rent debt. Edward’s physical health is not ideal as well, as he is suffering from high blood pressure. He claims he cannot afford necessary medication for his condition due to his financial situation.
The client was previously arrested for drunk driving several times, but he claims he was not drunk. According to the client, his father had a problem with alcohol, which led to verbal aggression; he also had an episode of being physically aggressive to his mother. Also, Edward was arrested for a bar fight once. The client’s ex-wife called the police claiming that Edward hit her while the client claims it did not happen. In the result, he spent one week in jail and received a restraining order from his wife and a child. The client confirms that he had his first encounter with alcohol in 6 years old with the beverage provided by his father. Edward claims that he started drinking in college when he joined a fraternity. The client confirmed he has blackouts from time to time. Also, Edward confessed he uses cocaine once or twice a week. In addition, the client reported problems with sleep and appetite.
Referral
The reason for referral is Edward’s drinking problem. He was referred by his ex-wife and a court for the ability to meet with his son. The referral was made by the court, which was made as the request to evaluate if the client needs treatment (Lichtenberger et al., 2004).The client wants to visit his son, but he got a restraining order from his ex-wife and a son due to the act of physical aggression. The problem with drinking emerged during his second year in the college after joining a fraternity, which was the reason why Edward left the institution. Later, the issue returned after leaving the military, as the client confirms he started to drink every day. After, the problem began to progress even when his second wife got pregnant. The birth of his son did not affect Edward’s drinking habit, which led to the conflicts in the family. Apparently, the client’s ex-wife was concerned about his constant alcohol abuse and inability to find a stable job. This fact has intensified the relationship in the family.
According to client’s statement, his mother is worried about him, but they have never spoken about his drinking habits. He admits having a close relationship with his younger brother, yet Edward drinks with him as well. Overall, the duration of the problem is substantial, it is estimated to be around 8 years. The client claimed that during the service they did not suppose to drink, which was the only reason why he managed to stay sober. However, during the official leaves, he used to drink once in a while. One of the important questions here is the time of referral. Edward’s ex-wife managed to refer his husband only several months ago while his addiction to alcohol has been quite persistent. At the same time, it is clear that his ex-wife was using alcohol with him before getting pregnant, which partially explains the late referral. It is possible to imply that the problem is quite intense, as the client confirms that he drinks constantly, using the alcohol every day. He also was using cocaine when he and his ex-girlfriend could afford it, yet he does not show the signs of addiction to this substance. While the client cannot afford rent, he still buys alcohol and visit bars, admitting that he has money only for beer and occasional whiskey.
Background Information
Logan Edward currently resides in rented apartment and he lives alone. He has just broken up with his girlfriend who complained about his alcohol addiction. Earlier, the client had the history of two marriages, the result of which was a son named Eric. Not a lot of information is known about Edward’s childhood, but several episodes described by him provide a full picture. The client witnessed abusive behavior from his father, who also had problems with alcohol. The main reason for the divorce of his parents was the act of physical abuse, which resonates with Edward’s case. The parenting pattern of his mother is unknown, but the client claims that he preserved a good relationship with his mother as well as his brother. It is also possible to assume that Edward’s brother does not worry about his addiction because he also uses alcohol at least from time to time. The client did not report the status of relationship with his father, but it is possible to assume they do not communicate.
The client confirmed that he was good in school and managed to receive the scholarship for the college. It was the first time when alcohol became the main reason for Edward’s failures. Apparently, he wanted to improve this situation when joining the armed forces. During the active duty in Iraq, the client claimed that he was constantly frustrated because he had to witness his friend’s deaths. Edward also reported that he had conflicts with his lieutenant during the service, whom he blamed for the inability to be promoted. Afterward, Edward was unable to find a job, as he did not have a degree except for being a sniper, and due to his constant alcohol abuse. This issue was the main reason why Edward got fired from his jobs because he was unable to come to work in time and complete the assignments. Edward does not connect his drinking to the loss of the jobs, divorces, and a restraining order. The client does not have a wide variety of interests, which are limited to drinking, playing video games, watching TV, and visiting bars. The client has never been in therapy before and he does not have critical physical problems except for high pressure.
Description of Data Findings
The preliminary interview conducted with Logan Edward produced several results that have to be taken into the consideration before assigning the treatment. The client does not express enthusiasm about the need to be evaluated by the specialist. He constantly pretends he does not care about the results and the point of view of an expert. Edward explains the need to be assessed as the need to visit his son. He constantly blames his ex-wife for his troubles. Overall, the client blames everyone involved in his life for his problems, including his employers, authority, and ex-wives for all problems experienced by him. However, he does not recognize the alcohol addiction of his father and the inadequacy of his behavior, referring to his actions as nothing special.
The interviewer had to ask questions about client’s attitude to alcohol multiple times in order to get a clear picture (Perkinson, 2012). The client showed that he is in denial and he does not recognize his problem referring to it as something ordinary. Edward has problems recognizing authority, which led to several arrests and loss of multiple jobs. He realizes that he needs to find a job, improve his relationship with his son, ex-wife, and opposite sex in general. Edward realizes that he is a good carpenter and he has the abilities to become successful in life. However, the client does not know how to achieve that. It is evident that Edward was traumatized by the service in Iraq when he witnessed multiple deaths of his friends and being a sniper. It was reported that persons with alcohol addiction suffer from the co-morbidities (Stewart & Connors, 2004/2005). In Edward’s case, the client suffers from sleep deprivation, eating disorder, loss of concentration and memory, distraction, episodes of anxiety, blackouts, and depression. The client sleeps for several hours a day and tends to wake up due to anxiety and stress. He also does not feel the need to eat very often, because Edwards consumes food only once a day. In the result of his drinking, the client suffers from the high blood pressure, which he does not treat.
References
Lichtenberger, E. O. Mather, N., & Kaufman, N. L. (2004). Essentials of assessment report writing. New York, NY: Wiley.
Perkinson, R. R. (2012). Chemical dependency counseling: A practical guide (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Stewart, S. H., & Connors, G. J. (2004/2005). Screening for alcohol problems: What makes a test effective? Alcohol Research & Health, 28(1), 5–16.
