Archive for category: Psychology

Review the “CASE of MIKE” in Chapter 5 below and respond the following questions:

1. Choose either the Disease model or the Moral model and describe how Mike developed his addiction based on that model. This response should be 10 or more sentences.
2. After reading the article : Starting Where the Client is, discuss how you might utilize the Harm Reduction Approach with this client.  This response should be 5 or more sentences.

In this scenario, a 19-year-old African American male college student has been caught by the university police urinating in public after consuming large amounts of alcohol at a fraternity party. The student, on arrest, became belligerent and physical with the apprehending officers. He spent the evening in jail and was released the next morning. He seemed embarrassed the following morning and did not recall the previous evening’s events. At that point he recognized how he had blacked out because of his use of alcohol. Mike was referred to the judicial committee the following week; he also met with the local district justice for the violation. In this case, he was dually referred for the alcohol and drug assessment.

Mike met for a preassessment with the alcohol and drug staff member to determine his involvement in the campus program. During their preliminary session, Mike disclosed that his first use of alcohol began at age 16 and his current pattern is to drink only on the weekends, from eight to 10 beers at a time. He reported that in high school, he drank minimally and experimented some with marijuana. Mike is a 2nd-year student who has a grade point average of 2.85, which has dropped in the past semester. He reported to the evaluator that his last use of marijuana was minimal, “Maybe a few joints every two or three times a month.” He denied any other chemical use. He did share that he drank minimally in high school because of his father’s alcoholism and his uncle’s death from a heroin overdose.

As presented, Mike reported only one other alcohol violation in high school when he was stopped for possession of alcohol and was, therefore, not able to obtain his driver’s license until age 18. He presented to the evaluator the following data, which will be important for an appropriate referral. Mike appears to have a pattern of drinking, which has increased, and has a developing tolerance to alcohol. He has presented at least two blackout periods during his drinking. In addition he reported a second alcohol consequence and a significant history of alcoholism and drug addiction within the family regarding his father and uncle.