The current case involves a 22-year-old girl call Marci. The client uses marijuana, alcohol, and cigarettes. Furthermore, she appears to be anxious and depressed. During the assessment, however, the patient indicated that she does not experience panic attacks or develop suicidal thoughts. This plan sets out the treatment approach that can be used to assist Marci to recover from the condition affecting her.
Problem/Symptoms
Substance Misuse
One of the main issues that is affecting Marci is substance misuse. The first substance that she is misusing one is alcohol. Alcoholism has been categorized as one of the main problems affecting many people around the world ( West, 2017 ). In the United States, for instance, it has been reported that about 86.6 percent of people aged 18years and above have taken alcohol at a given point in their lives ( National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2020 ). The second substance that Marci abuses is marijuana. Marijuana is a substance that has been used by many people for a long tie. It alters the way a person thinks ad make it difficult for one to make rational decisions ( Volkow, 2014 ). Marci has been arrested for being in possession of marijuana which she also abuses. Therefore, it is imperative to assist her deal with the problem and live a normal life. Finally, Marci has been abusing tobacco. She is a regular smoker and the practice puts her life in danger. Smoking usually lead to a wide range of issues, including lung problems, cardiovascular complications, and respiratory disorders. In addition, it can increase the risk of complications such as obesity and diabetes. Consequently, there is a need to help the patient stop smoking and live a healthy life.
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Long Term Goal 1
To help the patient understand that she has the strength and ability to fight and successfully overcome her substance, marijuana and tobacco addictions
One of the major steps that those who abuse substances need to take is to accept that they are having a problem. Once an individual makes such as move, the next step is to develop the inner strength to overcome the addiction ( Perkinson, Jongsma, & Bruce, 2014 ). The process entails developing the belief that addiction can be fought and overcome. When the client is confident, she will lay a solid foundation for the recovery journey. In addition, the patient will remain on tract and focused as she works towards living a life that is free from any kind of substance. The caregiver needs to assure the patient that she has the ability to overcome alcohol abuse, marijuana abuse and smoking if she remains committed and focused.
Measurable Short-Term Goals
Help the patient understand what substance abuse is all about
The patient needs to know the issue of substance abuse and what causes it. In addition, they should be assisted to understand the manner in which substance abuse can affect their everyday life and wellbeing.
Assist the patient to raise her confidence level
The client can only overcome the issue of substance abuse when she believes in herself. Therefore, it is imperative for the caregiver to strive to assist the patient to develop confidence. In addition, the patient needs to understand that it is possible to deal with the issue of substance abuse and live a normal live.
Long term goal no. 2
The second long term goal is to assist the patient stop smoking, alcohol abuse, and marijuana use. Substance abuse is not like other diseases that can just be treated using simple medication ( National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2020 ). It requires strength and vigilance from both the care giver and the patient. In addition, the patients should be ready to follow the advice given by the caregiver so that they can fully recover from the problem. The counselor needs to work with other clinical staff to assist the patient through all the phases of the treatment and recovery. The primary objective is to ensure that the patient recovers and start living a substance-free life.
Measurable Short-Term Goals
Stop alcohol abuse and marijuana use
Alcoholism is a major problem affecting many young people. In addition, stopping the practice is not easy. However, the patient needs to understand the dangers of the practice and stop using it. The same applies to marijuana which can affect the reasoning of a person.
To stop smoking
Cigarettes contain harmful substances that can affect different body organs including the heart and lungs. In addition, it is a major cause of heart and respiratory system complications. Therefore, the patient should be assisted to stop understand the dangers of smoking and stop the practice.
2.Depression
The second major issue that the patient is experiencing is depression. Depression is one of the major mental health complications affecting many people around the world. It is a serious mental health condition that can adversely affect the way a person feels, thinks, and behaves. It is also worth stating that depression is usually persistent and will affect the ability of an individual to function normally and anticipate pleasure ( Perkinson, Jongsma, & Bruce, 2014 ). It is for this reason that the disorder needs to be managed well to prevent its adverse symptoms. Failure to manage depression can lead to other conditions such as anxiety, cardiovascular disease and development of suicidal thoughts.
Long Term Goal 1
To identify the possible cause of depression
Depression is perceived to be the natural body response to stressful events and stress. A depressed person will develop fear ad behave in a manner that show that they are not thinking normally. In addition, such people are worried about the things that are happening in their lives from time to time. Therefore, it is imperative to identify the causes of depression and manage them
Short Term Goals
Understand that depression is a mood related complication
Depression is a complex mental health condition that may affect the overall health of a person. In the present case, it is imperative to assist the patient to understand how depression can affect her moods. Once the patient recognizes such events, it is possible to find ways of dealing with them
Identify the signs of depression
People usually show diverse signs of depression. At the same time, there are those who fail to recognize the signs of depression. In the end such individuals fail to seek professional assistance. Therefore, Marci should be assisted to know the signs of depression and identify those she has been showing over the years.
Long term goal no. 2
Assist the patient to deal with depressive symptoms
If not managed, depression can make it difficult for a person to live a normal life. In addition, it can affect the ability of a person to carry out daily routines and duties. This has been the case with Marci who suffers from anxiety from time to time. Clients should be assisted to deal with the depressive symptoms so that they can live a normal life.
Short Term Goals
Assist the patient manage stress and anxiety
Anxiety and stress are some of the factors that can cause depression. For instance, poor academic performance or problems with family members may lead to stress and eventually cause depression. Marci needs to understand the link between these factors as she strive to recover and live a normal life.
Develop positive thoughts
One of the main hallmarks in the journey towards recovery from depression and other mental conditions is developing positive thoughts. The positive thoughts will help the patient to overcome the stressors that affect them. In addition, it helps people to become confidence in their ability to fight depression.
3.Family Problem
The final major issue is family problems that the patient has been having. Family members usually provide support to those who may be having mental and physical health issues. The interactions that people have with family members allow them to overcome some of the main complications that they are going through ( Daley, 2013 ). However, issues such as substance abuse may affect the kind of relationships that people have with the rest of the family. In addition, alcoholism may make it difficult for a person to maintain an excellent relationship with family members. Marci, just like another people involved in substance abuse, is having problems with her family. These proems may affect her ability to recover from substance abuse.
Long Term Goal 1
Develop a positive relationship with family members
One of the issues that the client is experiencing lately is the run-ins with the police due to her substance use problems. About five months ago, Marci was charged for being in possession of 1g of marijuana and driving under the influence of alcohol. The alcohol blood level at the time of the arrest 2was 0.13 which as above the allowed limit. These are issues that may affect the kind of relationship that a person has with the rest of the family.
Short Term Goals
Assist the patient to understand the importance of family
The client is experiencing a wide range of issues that are affecting her normal life. The recovery process will require the input of the family members. Therefore, she needs to understand the importance of family and significance of living with them well.
Organize for a session for the patient and the family to talk about the issues at hand
Family is a critical component of the patient’s life. The kind of family one has may affect his or her ability to deal with mental issues and substance abuse problems. In addition, family member needs to understand the issues affecting their members and find ways of dealing with them. Therefore, Marci’s family need to come together to talk about the issues affecting the patient.
Long term goals 2
Maintain a long-term relationship with family members
Marci requires urgent help because her substance use problems are spilling over to all aspect of her life. She has been struggling in school to meet her academic needs and having problems with other members of her family. However, the recovery journey cannot be completed without the support of the family. Therefore, she needs to work towards maintaining a positive relationship with her family.
Short Term Goals
Enlighten the family members about issues affecting Marci
Substance abuse and mental health complications are complex problems that some people struggle to understand. It is common to find some families blaming addicts for the issues affecting them rather than offering a conducive environment for them to recover. In the present case, Marci’s family should be educated about the issues being addressed and ways of supporting her.
Help Marci find ways of living peaceful with the rest of the family
It is undeniable that the rest of the family will play a critical role in dealing with some of the issues that are affecting Mercy. In addition, they need to support her during the tire recovery process. However, Marci should also find ways of making the work of the rest of the family easy. The process entails showing positive attitude and relating ell with the rest f the family.
Conclusion
The current case involves a patient who is struggling with alcoholism, marijuana use and smoking. There has been an increase in the number of youths and adults who are engaging in binge drinking . This group consist of men who drink more than four drinks every day and women who consume three drinks on every given day. Excessive consumption of alcohol usually leads to a wide range of health conditions such as liver cirrhosis and increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Marci’s case is even more complex as she also uses marijuana, smokes and has serious problem with her family. These issues need to be managed systematically to help the patient recover.
References
Volkow, N. (2014). Adverse health effects of marijuana use. New England Journal of Medicine , 371 (9), 878-879. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmc1407928
CDC. (2020, February 20). Current cigarette smoking among adults in the United States . Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/adult_data/cig_smoking/index.htm
Daley, D. C. (2013). Family and social aspects of substance use disorders and treatment. Journal of food and drug analysis , 21 (4), S73–S76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfda.2013.09.038
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2020, February 18). Alcohol facts and statistics . National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/alcohol-facts-and-statistics
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2020, April 8). What is the scope of marijuana use in the United States? https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/what-scope-marijuana-use-in-united-states
Perkinson, R., Jongsma, B., & Bruce, B. (2014). Addiction treatment planner: Includes DSM-5 updates. Wiley.
West, R. (2017). Tobacco smoking: Health impact, prevalence, correlates and interventions. Psychology & Health , 32 (8), 1018-1036. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2017.1325890
