CDCA Substance Use Disorder & Recovery Knowledge 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is a harm reduction approach to substance use?
- Requiring abstinence before entering treatment
- Providing clean needles to reduce infection risk (Correct answer)
- Mandating 12-step program attendance
- Withholding treatment until the client hits 'rock bottom'
Correct answer: Providing clean needles to reduce infection risk
Harm reduction strategies like needle exchange programs aim to reduce the negative consequences of drug use without requiring abstinence as a prerequisite.
Question 2: What does the acronym 'HALT' represent as a relapse prevention tool?
- Hopeless, Anxious, Lonely, Threatened
- Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired (Correct answer)
- Hurt, Avoidant, Lethargic, Tense
- Hostile, Addicted, Lapsed, Triggered
Correct answer: Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired
HALT reminds clients in recovery to check for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired states, which are common high-risk triggers for relapse.
Question 3: Methadone maintenance therapy for opioid use disorder works primarily by:
- Blocking all opioid receptors completely
- Providing a long-acting opioid that reduces withdrawal and cravings (Correct answer)
- Reversing opioid overdose rapidly
- Creating an aversive reaction to opioid use
Correct answer: Providing a long-acting opioid that reduces withdrawal and cravings
Methadone is a long-acting full opioid agonist that stabilizes clients by preventing withdrawal and cravings, reducing illicit opioid use.
Question 4: The biopsychosocial model of addiction emphasizes that substance use disorders result from:
- Primarily genetic factors passed from parent to child
- An interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors (Correct answer)
- Moral deficiency and lack of willpower
- Exclusively environmental and social influences
Correct answer: An interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors
The biopsychosocial model recognizes that addiction arises from the interplay of biological vulnerability, psychological factors, and social/environmental influences.
Question 5: A client who smokes marijuana daily to cope with stress reports anxiety and irritability when trying to stop. These symptoms most likely represent:
- Stimulant-induced anxiety disorder
- Cannabis withdrawal syndrome (Correct answer)
- Cannabis-induced psychosis
- Malingering to avoid treatment
Correct answer: Cannabis withdrawal syndrome
DSM-5 recognizes Cannabis Withdrawal Syndrome, characterized by irritability, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and decreased appetite after cessation of heavy use.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes 'recovery capital'?
- Financial resources needed to pay for treatment programs
- The internal and external resources a person draws upon to initiate and sustain recovery (Correct answer)
- The amount of time a person has been abstinent
- Insurance benefits available for substance use treatment
Correct answer: The internal and external resources a person draws upon to initiate and sustain recovery
Recovery capital refers to the breadth and depth of internal resources (hope, self-efficacy) and external resources (social support, housing, employment) available to support recovery.
Question 7: A client's family consistently calls in sick for the client to their employer when the client is hungover. This is an example of:
- Social support for recovery
- Enabling behavior (Correct answer)
- Codependency intervention
- Psychoeducation
Correct answer: Enabling behavior
Enabling behavior occurs when family members shield the person with a substance use disorder from the natural consequences of their use, inadvertently supporting continued use.
CDCA Substance Use Disorder & Recovery Knowledge 5
Which of the following is a harm reduction approach to substance use?