Term Paper on "Substance Abuse Clients and the Cognitive Behavioral Approach"

Term Paper 4 pages (1519 words) Sources: 4 Style: APA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Substance Abuse Clients and the Cognitive Behavioral Approach

Substance Abuse

The negative effect of substance abuse in any case, leaves patients with serious sickness in the long run. Besides sickness, the behavior of some of the clients changes with time without undergoing any treatment. Substance abusers show troublesome behavior, warning exacerbations and repeated admission to hospital. A study on a group of substance abusers stated that the illness subsequent to substance abuse turned to be a complex condition for the rest of the life. A survey conducted in the year 1995 by Chen and Kandel states that the number of drug and alcohol users in America reduced when they reached 30 years of age. However, the epidemiology of substance abuse shows that this behavior continues for a long part of their life. Substance abuse usually leads to mental unrest in clients. Several reports show that the "treatment provided for substance abusers is very less. Mental unrest among substance abusers is usually treated by admitting them to a hospital for a long time. These patients are treated for psychiatry. These patients do not show much improvement even after one year of treatment." (Onken; Blaine, 1998) Hence most of the patients are hospitalized again with the same problem. (Onken; Blaine, 1998)

This proof is supported by the McKinney research on mentally unrest grown ups without a home. Further this report also proves that the homelessness of this group of mentally unrest people is due to substance abuse. A survey by Bartels and his colleagues states that some clients did not have mental unrest in the first round of meeting while they developed this condition during a follow up meeting. "Substance abusers with acute mental unrest and temperate alcoholic habit are likely to become chronic drinkers in the latter part of their lives." (Onken; Blaine, 1998) This report is in line with a one year analysis on clients with schizophrenia. Hence clients who are identified with dual diagnosis tend to moderate substance abuse very slowly. In short, the recovery of clients with substance abuse behavior who are also drinkers, takes a very long time. However, the actual amount of time taken to recover differs from client to client. Besides the above mentioned risks, these clients have both psychological as well as financial problems due to substance abuse. (Onken; Blaine, 1998) research by Dupree and Schonfeld in the year 1986 states that the "behaviors which usually lead to substance use are anxiety, depression, anger, sadness, frustration, boredom and tension." (Blow, 1999) Substance abuse results in "physical pain, insecure accommodation, marital distress and family problems." (Blow, 1999) Other effects of substance abuse include losses and age related problems. People often use substance to withstand various social changes and health problems. Hence there is relationship between health and psycho sociology. This gives insight into a novel treatment and protection plan. (Blow, 1999)

Cognitive behavioral approach is a controlled method to decrease the sensitiveness to the environments that stimulate the use of substances and it is also the method to introduce supplementary situations. Cognitive behavioral approach is an extension of the counseling process to reduce relapses and repeated hospitalizations. The method of treatment is divided into counseling, duration of evaluation and method to strengthen the objective. There is a high rate of recovery in women when compared to the number of men who recover from substance abuse using cognitive behavioral approach. (Pollack; Penava; Bolton; Worthington; Allen; Farach; Otto, 2002)

Substance abusers can be studied using three different types of cognitive behavioral approach. They are self-management methods, behavior adjustment therapy and cognitive behavioral therapies. Behavior adjustment includes changes in the lifestyle of a person while embracing a new way of life. This change in behavior becomes clear to all who live close to the client. Self-management of the client denotes the assistance provided to the client to recognize and change his blatant behavior. Cognitive behavioral approach deals with that behavior of a client which the client can recognize himself to create a change. This approach teaches the client to identify that behavior which initiates him to use substance. Later the client is assisted to learn the process of change and to recognize the changes he has made from the initial stage. "This routine check up begins with the precursor effects, craving, thoughts, feelings and the urge to use the substance. The client is then served to learn the negative and positive impact of using such substances." (Blow, 1999) the positive outcome of the behavior is given importance to encourage the client further to recover. (Blow, 1999) cognitive behavior approach can be made an interesting task for the patient as well as therapist by creating a relationship. This approach provides better knowledge about the patient and enhances cooperation from the client. This approach imbibes the lessons of social behavior which speaks about the introduction to substance abuse. The three steps to analyze substance abuse are studied under modeling, operant condition and classical conditioning. Under modeling, it is learnt that a person comes to know about novel things by observing people in his surroundings and later testing it himself. It is a known fact that children learn to speak by hearing to what their parents speak. It is the same condition with substance users. Children begin their drinking habits by watching their parents consume it to overcome troubled situations. Adolescents begin to smoke by observing their peers. Hence substance abusers begin the condition by observing their peers and family. (the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2005) set of animals were treated in a laboratory with substance and alcohol. The inference stated that they crave for more substances since they get accustomed to the pleasure which gives them strength. The intake of substances sometimes begins out of the effect it creates in a person. This effect includes decreased depression, energy, euphoria, enhanced power and a feeling of liberty and confidence. However, the positive and negative impact of substance consumption differs from person to person. The strengthening effect on substance consumption is usually conceived by a client with family history, a person who craves for sensation and by a person with mental unrest. Clinical research states that substances are consumed for some vital and exact cause. A survey by Pavlov states that if one action of a person is clubbed together with a different action the yearning to consume substances can be reduced. If consumption of substances is combined with money and if the client is exposed to locations like a bar or a drug vendors place or drug users, for a consistent number of days, in a lonely mood or so will reduce the yearning to use substances. A cognitive behavioral approach should first find the reasons for substance use and then prevent the situation which leads to substance abuse. A very sensitive investigation is required to handle every step of study with client. This can be studied easily by having an open discussion with client to know about his past, their opinion about recovering from the abuse and their objective to overcome the situation. (the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2005)

Thus it needs to be noted that cognitive behavioral approach is an effective method to treat young people who are substance abusers. This method is induced by introducing young people to buffer aspects so that they can be prevented from further use of substances. The main objective in this method is to divert the sensitiveness to some other situation. Several techniques are induced in the client for this purpose. They include the ability to manage oneself, trouble shooting, assertiveness, decision making, control of anger and anxiety, etc. The ability to get acquainted to a new process is important like the importance of the ability to overcome cognitive destruction. This condition can be described as the mentality and misconception of… READ MORE

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