From the assessment, it was clear that the patient needed both treatment of the alcoholism condition as well as clinical psychological approaches to deal with the mind and the psychological conditions. Therefore, my intervention plan was divided into two: treatment and therapy. I outline the specific strategies and interventions I used to treat as well as to make the patient participate in the plan.
Treatment
Perhaps it is crucial to mention here that ‘treatment’ was more of detoxification as opposed to cure. Medical intervention was necessary to manage withdrawal from alcohol. The reason is that excessive intake of alcohol leads to cellular alterations that the body adapts to and the consequences of withdrawal may include: hyperactivity of reflexes, high sensitivity to sensory stimuli, over-alertness, insomnia, anxiety, muscular tension and tremor, and reduced seizure threshold (Littrell, 2014). It was also necessary to provide support services during the treatment for withdrawal. Some of the crucial support services included: reality orientation, reassurance and the occasional monitoring of signs and symptoms. Littrell (2014) terms these support services as social detoxification and opines that they are safe and effective especially for patients that suffer from severe withdrawal reactions.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
To be specific, I used antianxiety medications during the detoxification process. I mainly used the benzodiazepine derivatives such as diazepam (Valium), and oxazepam (Serax) (Eskapa, 2012). At first, the patient reportedly did not adhere to the recommended dosage; he would skip taking medication and would sometimes sneak into pubs to take alcohol because of the strong craving. Since the patient was on outpatient services, it was difficult to monitor the dosage. I was compelled to approach his wife who would monitor and remind him to take medication during the recommended times. However, after some time, I noticed that the patient had become too over dependent on the medication even after the detoxification period. I was forced to stop the prescription and shifted to therapy.
Therapy
The therapeutic process involved two methods: cognitive-behavioral approach and family systems approach (Kazantzis, Dattilio, & Dobson, 2017). It is important to note that therapy was mainly aimed at solving feelings of loneliness and apathy, and social isolation. I believed that solving these aspects would help in shifting the patient’s perception that alcoholism was the only source of company. To start with behavioral therapy, I made the patient to write down some of the achievements he had made. As I noted, some of the achievements that offered the patient a sense of pride were excelling in academics and giving his children the best education. This strategy was aimed at making the patient develop positive thoughts. The patient felt that he could achieve anything as a consequence of these achievements. The next strategy was developing a plan where the patient would jog every morning, read a book before sleeping, as well as talking to me on the phone. This strategy was aimed at developing new habits that would keep him busy and keep him away from drinking areas. The family systems approach involved talking to his close family members to keep him busy by fostering positive interaction. His children would call and talk to him occasionally so that he could not feel lonely.
Conclusively, the strategies seemed to work because the patient joined a book club in the neighborhood, where he spent time he would otherwise have spent in drinking sprees. One strength during the process was that the patient was enlightened and showed a strong urge to quit drinking. His family members also understand his situation and did all they could to keep him company. I stopped the intervention plan gradually by first stopping the detoxification, then the therapy but left the patient with a plan to adhere to.
References
Eskapa, R. (2012). The Cure for Alcoholism: The Medically Proven Way to Eliminate Alcohol Addiction . BenBella Books, Inc.
Kazantzis, N., Dattilio, F. M., & Dobson, K. S. (2017). The therapeutic relationship in cognitive-behavioral therapy: A clinician's guide . Guilford Publications.
Littrell, J. (2014). Understanding and Treating Alcoholism: Volume I: An Empirically Based Clinician's Handbook for the Treatment of Alcoholism: volume Ii: Biological, Psychological, and Social Aspects of Alcohol Consumption and Abuse . Psychology Press.
