Psychotherapy for Addictive Disorders

"A long-standing debate has roiled over whether addicts have a choice over their behaviors. The disease creates distortions in thinking, feelings, and perceptions, which drive people to behave in ways that are not understandable to others around them. Simply put, addiction is not a choice. Addictive behaviors are a manifestation of the disease, not a cause."

-Dr. Raju Hajela, former president of the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine

A common misconception is that addiction is a choice, and addicts are often labeled as individuals who lack morals, willpower, or responsibility. However, addiction is a clinical disorder that must be treated with the support of a health care professional.

Although many people who are exposed to potentially addictive substances and behaviors continue life unaltered by their experiences, some people are fueled by these experiences and spiral out of control. In your role as the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, you must be prepared to not only work with these individuals who struggle with addiction, but also help them and their families overcome the social stigmas associated with addictive behavior.

This week, as you explore psychotherapy for addiction, you assess clients presenting with addictive disorders. You also examine therapies for treating these clients and consider potential outcomes. Finally, you develop diagnoses for clients receiving psychotherapy and consider legal and ethical implications of counseling these clients.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

· Develop diagnoses for clients receiving psychotherapy

· Evaluate the efficacy of motivational interviewing techniques for clients

· Analyze legal and ethical implications of counseling clients with psychiatric disorders

Select a client whom you observed or counseled this week. Then, address the following in your Practicum Journal:

· Describe the client (without violating HIPAA regulations) and identify any pertinent history or medical information, including prescribed medications.

· Using the DSM-5, explain and justify your diagnosis for this client.

· Explain whether motivational interviewing would be effective with this client.

Include expected outcomes based on this therapeutic approach. Support your approach with evidence-based literature.

· Explain any legal and/or ethical implications related to counseling this client.

· Support your approach with evidence-based literature.