Harm Reduction theory is an approach that was originally and successfully used when counseling HIV positive clients. When using the Harm Reduction approach during drug treatment, the counselor approaches the issue of substance abuse as a something more than just an issue to be cured. The intent of Harm reduction therapy is not to completely eliminate the client’s use of drugs, but instead focuses on minimizing the physical and mental harm that can be associated with the ongoing abuse of the given substance. The strategies used during this type of therapy emphasize management of the clients drug and alcohol use. In many cases teaching the client this type of drug management approach has been shown to reduce harm to the client, people closely involved with the client, as well as to the community. (Miller, 1996)
A Harm Reduction approach to therapy begins with the intent to lessen any high-risk behavior that can be linked back to substance abuse. A treatment plan that focuses on the clients positive behaviors is developed. Hazardous behaviors are addressed through means of educating, and motivating the client. Once a client is properly educated in the positive ways to prevent or lessen harm through substance abuse, they are often motivated to begin to use their treatment as something that focuses on working towards complete recovery from their addiction. Moderation Management and Controlled Use is an approach that is intended to reduce consumption and therefore reduce harm to an individual. The individual is encouraged and taught productive ways to reduce drug intake and gain more control over situations that involve use such as limiting use, attending support groups, forming positive support system within their group of friend or wi...
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...determination, action, and maintenance. Harm Reduction therapy implements strategies of therapy dependent upon the stage of change the client may be experiencing at the time. The therapist should always take a position of non-judgment as this will encourages the individual to proceed through the different stages of change at a pace that is comfortable and suitable for the client personally. Pre-contemplation has been described as the stage where an individual is still in the process of actively abusing recreational chemicals. The mission of the therapist during this stage is to help to educate the client of the different risks involved with their particular type of substance abuse issue. During contemplation, the client begins to show ambivalence towards their continued drug use, this is the therapists cue to initiate and buildup the client’s motivation for change.
Many programs develop a preliminary or initial treatment plan upon the client's admission to a program before a comprehensive assessment has been completed.The preliminary treatment plan starts the treatment process and is derived from the initial interview, intake assessment,ad other psycho social evaluations.The preliminary treatment plan defines the clients areas of concern and determines the severity of each problem to identify the clients immediate needs.it may involve drafting an abstinence contract and a schedule of treatment activities,such as establishing a time frame for the completion of a comprehensive assessment.Preliminary treatment plans outline an initial recovery strategy to support the client during initial treatment. They also achieve the
Harm reduction itself is a heavily contested topic, predominantly with regards to its definition, but subsequently with its effectiveness, which is highly dependant on which definition is applied. It is important when discussing definition debates to consider that, as stated by Erickson (1995) "our interpretations of the term tend to change over time and this is a healthy process that is essential in the full articulation of an 'emerging public health perspective'" (Erickson, 1995: 283). There is literature to suggest that the term 'harm reduction' was firstly used only in application to programmes and policies that tried to reduce harm for individuals that continued to use substances, and as such did not include abstinence focused approaches (Single and Rohl, 1997). This deliberate exclusion from definition is beneficial in the sense that it clarifies harm reductions stance in
This leads to the second school of thought on medically assisted treatment. There has been a great deal of debate about the medication used to treat Opiate addiction, methadone. Many feel that the drug methadone is simply trading one drug in for another, as the addiction to methadone is quick and almost more powerful than an opiate addiction (Nelson, 1994). The withdrawals effects are far more intense with methadone and for this reason it is a lifetime maintenance medication. Some suggest that more rehabilitative programs are needed that would address the social problems the users have to help them recover, instead of the methadone program that is viewed...
Relapse prevention can be defined as the set of designed coping skills or tools that can be utilized to reduce the chances that the user will resort back to unhealthy behavior or get worse through continued substance use. Knowledge or skills for relapse prevention include; identification of early signs of relapse, identifying and singling out high risk factors for a possible relapse, how to make wise daily choices that won’t lead the client back to drug abuse, and implementing early coping strategies to avoid relapse (Sofuoglu, 2010).
The first therapy to discuss is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, otherwise know as CBT. The main focus of CBT therapy is a “functional analysis of the thinking and behavioral process” (Content Guide 4, n.d.). This being said, CBT has been effective in the treatment of those struggling with substance
A review of the literature reveals no clear-cut definition of harm reduction. Most experts are in agreement, however, that the primary emphasis of harm reduction strategies is to reduce the health, social, and economic consequences associated with alcohol and drug use. Implicitly or explicitly, complete abstinence is the goal of the vast majority of substance abuse service providers (MacMaster, 2004). Although harm reduction strategies value completely refraining from addictive substances, the approach embraces a wide range of goals not limited to abstinence. The harm reduction model employs strategies for extending the scope of treatment to substance users for whom abstinence oriented treatment may not be appropriate. When people are unwilling or unable to embrace abstinence, alternatives to abstinence based treatment have been shown to increase the well-being of both individuals and communities.
Addiction is a dependence on a substance where the individual who is affected feels defenseless and unable to stop the obsession to use a substance or prevent a particular behavior. Millions of Americans have addictions to drugs, alcohol, nicotine, and even to behaviors such as obsessive gambling. Pharmacotherapy is a treatment process in which a counselor can use a particular drug to counter act an addictive drug or behavior. Not all counselors agree with this type of treatment. However in order to provide a client with an ethical treatment and unbiased opinions they should be made aware of all scientific evidence of different treatment options. “Thus, attention to addiction pharmacotherapy is an ethical mandate no matter what prejudices a counselor may have” (Capuzzi & Stauffer, 2008, p. 196). Some particular pharmacotherapy’s a counselor may use for the treatment of addiction are Bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban), Disulfiram (Antabuse), Naltrexone (ReVia, Depade), Methadone (Dolophine), and Buprenorphine (Temgesic, Suboxone).
Equally important, therapy for parents with children who abuse drugs, participate in treatment interventions in a therapeutic setting with the Family Therapy Model, using Cognitive Behavior Therapy or CBT. The main goal of CBT is to improve family relationships by promoting sobriety and correcting the erratic or destructive behaviors/patterns, which aid in a person’s addiction. The goal is to educate family members about triggers, in the event of a relapse or erratic behaviors that resurface. In the event, families can resolve conflict in a positive way and recognize future erratic behaviors, before it's too late. Nevertheless, the Strategic family therapy is the best option, for Ryan and his family because of the relationship and separation
Silverman, K., Roll, J., & Higgins, S. (2008). Introduction to the Special Issue on the Behavior Analysis and Treatment of Drug Addiction. Journal of Applied behavior Analysis, 41(4), 471-480. Retrieved June 12, 2011, from the proquest.com.navigator-ship.passhe.edu database.
This experience helped me to recognize the internal struggle that a substance abuser faces on a continuous basis. In addition, I know that an individual can have a difficult time changing their behavior even when they have a strong desire to change; the smallest thing can cause a person to relapse.
Relapse prevention has been able to become included into the treatment models of how to effectively teach drug offenders skills that can assist them in the development of positive self talk, self reinforcement, cognitive restructuring, and various forms of strategies that would allow those addicted to drugs to remain sober (Laws, 2003). In the future combining relapse prevention with medications such as vivitrol or Naltrexone to treat substance abuse leads to improved outcomes as compared with either relapse prevention or medication assisted treatment alone provides (Larimer et al., 1999). Relapse prevention has been proven to reduce an offender’s propensity to relapse by teaching offenders pro-social skills that will allow them to avoid and escape high risk situations. Most importantly, according to the evidence from the study, we are now able to suggest that the reduction in the drug offender’s odds of recidivism is enhanced when paired with post treatment after care type programs after the offender has completed initial treatment and been released from community supervision (Belenko et al., 2004). Therefore, is becoming obvious that relapse prevention can be considered and effective method of treatment for both the drug dealer and drug user
Drug and alcohol abuse has become a worldwide epidemic within today’s society. The battle against drugs and alcohol is not going to diminish. Therefore, we as a society need to work together to address these problems while incorporating successful treatment plans and services for these individuals. The addiction to these substances does not only effect oneself, but can also have profound consequences for the children and families.
There are many forms of treatment for substance use disorder. First, Individual and Group Counseling may provide a recovery plan, a social environment for seeking recovery, and can lead one to reduce or eventually stop abusing substances. During this style of treatment counselors are provided to people in treatment giving a variety of therapies. It was said, “Some common therapies include cognitive-behavioral therapy teaches individuals in treatment to recognize and stop negative patterns of thinking and behavior. For instance, cognitive-behavioral therapy might help a person be aware of the stressors, situations, and feelings that lead to substance use so that the person can avoid them or act differently when they occur”(Samhsa 2014 ). Another form of treatment would be a joining a program. For example, a 12-step program will guide and support a person whom is facing substance abuse disorder. Treatment can also be provided in inpatient or residential setting. A person with substance use disorder would go to a treatment facility which is designed to help the individual to change his or her
Substance abuse disorders are common in our society. It is a disorder that each one of us will most likely experience through a family member, friend, or our self. I felt very drawn to this topic due to the fact that I have a family that has background of substance abuse and I myself have battle the demon. Not until I struggled with my own addiction did I become more tolerable and understanding to those that have a substance abuse disorder. Substance abuse is not something anyone wants to have; it is a disorder that takes control of a person’s life. It is a beast that tears a person apart; from their being to the lives of their loved ones. This disorder is not biased in anyway; rich or poor, male or female, employed or unemployed, young or old, and any race or ethnicity” (E Not Alone).
There are many addictions in the world, and drug addiction is the biggest. People may experiment with the drug for many reasons. “If your drug use is causing problems in your life, then you likely have a drug abuse or addiction problem”.(Lawrence Robinson pg.1) Many people start out using drugs by peer pressure or out of their own curiosity. Stress, anxiety, lows self-esteem and depression could be another factor to start using drugs. The drug takes over your body and gives you a good feeling that many people tend to enjoy. The urge to use the drug can keep increasing rapidly after the first use. The urge can become so severe that your mind can find many other ways to deny the factor of addiction. Very few drug addicts can feel and realize when they have crossed the line with drugs. A drug addicts mind can build up a very large tolerance for the drug that they start to abandon the activities they used to do on a daily basis like showering, hobbies, socializing and even being associated with family members. The person with the addiction will continue to use the drug knowing that it is harming there body, but they don’t have any remorse. A drug addict will often try to hide their problem, so they can continue to use without anyone’s input. Family and friends may try to use preaching methods or tell the user that they need to stop using the drug. This method is not ...