PSYC FPX 4300 assessment 3

I’ve Got you Pegged Treatment Plan

Client Name: Max

Assessment Date: October 3, 2022

Substance Use History: Drug

First Use: No

Xanax: No

Pattern of use over time:

4 to 5 per day

Frequency of use in past month:

Everyday

Date/Amount of most recent use:

4 to 5 per day

Have these drugs ever been used in combination?

Michael has not used these drugs in combination with any other drugs, to my knowledge, based on the information given in the case study.

Consequences

Physical Consequences:

Michael has not exhibited any physical effects of the use, apart from the fact that he believes he is ready to go once he swallows the four to five pills for the day. He has not explained why he believes he needs to consume Xanax (Case Study, 2022).

Psychological Consequences:

Psychologically Michael feels compelled to conceal his consumption from his parents and school so that he will not get in trouble. Michael also seems defiant against his parents and resentful that they don’t even realize he exists because of the divorce. He is also being impacted in some manner because they aren’t aware that he is gay. But he doesn’t appear to have any issue with them being aware but makes it appear as if they might have a problem with this reality because they are extremely religious.

Medical Concerns:

Michael’s mother has been with a therapist since the divorce. He attributes it to depression or anxiety, but he is not sure. He has no other medical history or issues concerning the use of Xanax.

Past Treatment History:

Michael has received no previous treatment for any health issues, substance abuse, or other related matters. Michael mentioned clearly that he can get the Xanax by being dishonest to his doctor (Case Study). Michael mentioned that his parents have drinking habits, but not in a negative sense.

Environmental Factors

Residential:

Michael stays with his mother as a result of the divorce. He spends alternate weekends with his father. 

Social Support System:

Michael’s father and mother are preoccupied with the divorce, so they do not notice him and his brother much. His brother was suspended from high school for smoking weed. Michael’s new friends all use Xanax like him, and they trade among themselves or try to sell their Xanax.

Family and Family History

Family History of Use:

Both of Michael’s parents consume alcohol, but said it was an average amount. Michael’s older brother uses weed. There is no other family member known who has a substance use history.

Family Mental Health History:

Michael’s mother is now being seen by a therapist for divorce issues, possibly related to anxiety or depression. There are no other illnesses known associated with family history.

Current Additional Status To Consider

Educational:

Michael is in his last year of middle school. Next year, he will be in high school.

Financial:

No known information about work situation or finances. Since Michael is a minor, he is probably too young to work.

Legal:

No known legal issues that Michael has encountered.

Motivation for Treatment:

Michael is not in treatment for his use. He must be going to the doctor because of his parent’s divorce. Michael has not said that he believes he has a problem with substance use, but he did say that he has problems.

Recommended assessment measures:

Personally, I would probably evaluate his rationale behind taking Xanax, so that I could get a bit deeper into the underlying problem. There are some underlying feelings and emotions involved in his use, which I believe need to be addressed.

Clinical Assessment

Michael has been demonstrated to be abusing the drug Xanax by utilizing it daily in doses of 4 to 5 pills at a time. He demonstrates dependency on the drug by what amount he uses and how often he uses it. While he does not tell us why he needs to take Xanax, he feels better after consuming the 4 to 5 pills. Michael has developed a tolerance for the drug by demonstrating that he needs more than required to make it through. Michael is diagnosed by the DSM-5 as suffering from substance abuse, and the ICD-10 code is F19 for anxiolytic drugs. Tolerance, in the view of the DSM-5, is where a higher dose is taken in order to achieve the intended effect (DSM-5, 2022). Michael has not provided much detail about his history of drug use of Xanax and its impact on him physically or psychologically.

There is now estimated to be 0.3% of 13-17-year-olds experiencing the effects of anxiolytic use (DSM-5, 2022). Anxiolytic drugs are benzodiazepines, carbamates, barbiturates, and barbiturate-like hypnotics and sedative-like drugs. They include prescription sleeping pills and almost all prescription anti-anxiety pills, such as Xanax. Signs of the abuse of this kind of drug are poor school or work performance, absence from work or school, or suspension or expulsion from work or school. Another sign of the use of these drugs is neglect of children or the home by parents.

PSYC FPX 4300 Assessment 3 I’ve Got you Pegged Treatment Plan

Substance abuse features for its support in diagnosing the case would be his tolerance for the drug and amount consumed on a daily basis. Additional support may come in environmental forms, as the divorce between his parent can be implied indirectly since he himself does not explain explicitly how and if he got affected by that, yet is visibly shown becoming irritated about getting left out or disregarded. Considering that the drug is also very accessible from friends in school or outside school to him, it is a usual kind of activity to engage in because all his peers are doing the same.

Treatment Recommendations

Michael is still a teenager, and hence it is their responsibility to try and get him help. I think that if his parents are paying attention, he would agree to receive help. In my opinion, he is right now feeling even more neglected because of his parents’ divorce. Michael hasn’t expressed any unwillingness to seek help for his drug addiction, so I think that if his parents identified a problem and spoke with him about it, he would probably be willing to undergo treatment.

Four stages of care currently exist for the treatment of substance abuse, palliative care, stabilization, rehabilitation, and maintenance (Miller, et al, 2019). The stages start with palliative care, which is getting help for the issue in the first place. A physician or family member will suggest additional treatment during this stage. Stabilization can typically be applied to get ready for the third phase; this is often getting additional medication to take care of the withdrawal issues.

PSYC FPX 4300 Assessment 3 I’ve Got you Pegged Treatment Plan

Rehabilitation is what comes into mind for the majority when using the term treatment of drug abuse. In rehabilitation, every individual’s personal needs and objectives are handled in order to alter the habit and problem of the original abuse. Through the maintenance stage, every individual is concerned about being off of the drug however they have programmed during stage three.

Michael would be helped by therapy and rehabilitation treatment to curb or end his drug abuse altogether. He would be helped a lot by therapy because of his parent’s divorce and being a teenager starting high school. At his age, starting high school is an extremely stressful experience,

and the stress of keeping up can influence his drug abuse. A clinical therapist can address the underlying issue and provide some coping strategies in an effort to make it through his issues without resorting to taking Xanax.

Ethical Considerations

Ethics to consider would be that he is a minor; however, when visiting the therapist or any physician, they still have the right to follow the code of conduct and not divulge his information, even to his parents. Therapists can’t release clients’ information because of client confidentiality unless they provide their written permission to do so. Since he is a child, his parents will want to know what his diagnosis and treatment are, but there are policies that they will need to discuss.