MAC Master Addiction Counselor Exam MCQ 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client in early recovery reports strong cravings triggered by passing a bar where they used to drink. This is best described as:
- Classical conditioning response (Correct answer)
- Operant conditioning failure
- Cognitive distortion
- Post-acute withdrawal syndrome
Correct answer: Classical conditioning response
Environmental cues previously associated with substance use trigger cravings through classical (Pavlovian) conditioning.
Question 2: Which motivational interviewing principle involves reflecting back amplified or exaggerated versions of a client's ambivalence to prompt reconsideration?
- Simple reflection
- Amplified reflection (Correct answer)
- Double-sided reflection
- Reframing
Correct answer: Amplified reflection
Amplified reflection exaggerates the client's statement to encourage them to argue the other side of their ambivalence.
Question 3: Under HIPAA, a substance use disorder treatment program may disclose patient information without consent in which situation?
- A family member requests a status update
- Law enforcement requests treatment records
- A medical emergency threatens the patient's life (Correct answer)
- An insurance company requests billing records
Correct answer: A medical emergency threatens the patient's life
HIPAA permits disclosure without consent in a bona fide medical emergency threatening the patient's life or the life of another.
Question 4: The CAGE questionnaire screens for alcohol use disorder. What does the letter 'A' stand for?
- Anxiety about drinking
- Annoyed by criticism of drinking (Correct answer)
- Amount consumed daily
- Abstinence attempts
Correct answer: Annoyed by criticism of drinking
The 'A' in CAGE stands for 'Annoyed'—whether others' criticism of the person's drinking has annoyed them.
Question 5: Which neurotransmitter system is most directly implicated in the rewarding effects of opioids?
- Serotonergic system
- Mesolimbic dopamine system (Correct answer)
- GABAergic system
- Noradrenergic system
Correct answer: Mesolimbic dopamine system
Opioids stimulate dopamine release in the mesolimbic (reward) pathway, producing reinforcing euphoric effects.
Question 6: A counselor discovers a client lied about their drug use history on intake forms. The most appropriate first response is to:
- Discharge the client for dishonesty
- Confront the client directly in group session
- Explore the client's reasons for withholding information in individual session (Correct answer)
- Notify the client's family of the discrepancy
Correct answer: Explore the client's reasons for withholding information in individual session
Exploring the client's reasons non-judgmentally in individual session preserves the therapeutic alliance and addresses underlying shame or fear.
Question 7: The concept of 'geographic cure' in addiction counseling refers to:
- Relocating a client to a rural treatment facility
- A client's belief that moving to a new location will solve their addiction (Correct answer)
- Transitioning a client from inpatient to outpatient care
- Using nature-based therapy for substance use disorders
Correct answer: A client's belief that moving to a new location will solve their addiction
A geographic cure is a common rationalization where a person believes changing their environment will eliminate their substance use problems.
MAC Master Addiction Counselor Exam MCQ 2
A client in early recovery reports strong cravings triggered by passing a bar where they used to drink.
This is best described as: