Addictions Assessment

The first step in the assessment process involves understanding the client's perspective on the problem. This includes appreciating the circumstances and context of the problem and evaluating the client's long- and short-term goals. Some clients are clear that they drink or get high excessively, for example, and wish to quit for good. Others are unclear about whether they're overdoing it. Those who are convinced they're addicted, may ask whether abstinence or moderation makes sense for them. Some clients may have a mix of addiction and emotional disturbance and may not know how these are related. Others may have their addiction as a factor in the larger context of relationship difficulties.

The next step involves assessing which problem to address first. Although some clients show impatience and wish to address all their problems immediately, this is not possible. Do we address their addiction problem, emotional problem, or relationship problem initially? It's probably best to have the client decide. Simply and directly state the question: "which problem would you like to start with?" If the client is indifferent, then the therapist can determine which seems most pressing, and start with that. For example, if the client's partner has delivered an ultimatum, e.g., "If you get high again, I'm leaving," then under most circumstances it's prudent to focus immediately on helping the client to abstain.

The next step involves the education process: explaining how addiction is defined, where addictions come from, and how the fundamentals of the change process operate. REBT involves the backbone of our treatment. This approach is explained along with recommending further reading including Three Minute Therapy3 by this author and When AA Doesn't Work for You4 by Albert Ellis and Emmett Velten.

Contact our Personal Advocate to help you to find the right provider for your needs.