Addictions and Substance Use Counseling Flashcards

Which stage of the Transtheoretical Model is characterized by a client who is not yet considering changing their substance use?

Answer: Precontemplation

In precontemplation, the person is not intending to change in the foreseeable future and may be unaware of or deny the problem.

Which counseling approach emphasizes collaborative, client-centered conversation to strengthen motivation for change and resolve ambivalence?

Answer: Motivational interviewing

Motivational interviewing (Miller and Rollnick) uses an empathic, collaborative style, evoking the client's own reasons for change and reducing ambivalence.

A client abruptly stopping long-term heavy alcohol use is most at risk for which potentially life-threatening withdrawal complication?

Answer: Delirium tremens

Alcohol withdrawal can progress to delirium tremens, marked by confusion, hallucinations, autonomic instability, and seizures. It requires medical supervision.

Under the DSM-5-TR, substance use disorders are rated mild, moderate, or severe based on:

Answer: The number of diagnostic criteria met

Severity is based on the count of criteria met out of 11: 2-3 is mild, 4-5 is moderate, and 6 or more is severe.

Which term refers to a client needing increasingly larger amounts of a substance to achieve the same effect?

Answer: Tolerance

Tolerance is a diminished response to the same dose over time, or the need for more of a substance to achieve the desired effect. It is one of the DSM criteria for substance use disorders.

In a family with a member who has an addiction, the term "enabling" most accurately refers to:

Answer: Behaviors that shield the person from the consequences of use

Enabling is behavior, often well-intentioned, that protects the person from the natural consequences of their substance use and so unintentionally helps the addiction continue.