MAC Master Addiction Counselor Exam MCQ 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client with alcohol use disorder is at highest medical risk of life-threatening withdrawal symptoms during which timeframe after last drink?
- 0-6 hours
- 24-72 hours (Correct answer)
- 5-7 days
- 2-3 weeks
Correct answer: 24-72 hours
Delirium tremens, the most dangerous alcohol withdrawal complication, typically peaks 48-72 hours after the last drink.
Question 2: Which family therapy concept describes the process by which family members unconsciously enable a loved one's addiction to maintain family homeostasis?
- Differentiation of self
- Triangulation
- Enabling (Correct answer)
- Parentification
Correct answer: Enabling
Enabling refers to behaviors by family members that inadvertently support or protect the addicted person from consequences, allowing use to continue.
Question 3: Buprenorphine is classified as a partial opioid agonist. The clinical significance of its 'ceiling effect' is that:
- It produces greater euphoria than full agonists at high doses
- It has lower abuse potential and a safer respiratory depression profile (Correct answer)
- It requires daily observed dosing in a clinic setting
- It cannot be prescribed in office-based settings
Correct answer: It has lower abuse potential and a safer respiratory depression profile
The ceiling effect means respiratory depression does not increase beyond a certain dose, making buprenorphine significantly safer in overdose than full opioid agonists.
Question 4: In group therapy for addiction, the term 'cohesion' refers to:
- Agreement on group rules and norms
- The therapeutic bond among group members and with the leader (Correct answer)
- Uniformity of substance use history among members
- Synchronized progress through stages of change
Correct answer: The therapeutic bond among group members and with the leader
Group cohesion is the sense of belonging, trust, and connection among group members and with the facilitator, and is a key therapeutic factor.
Question 5: A client taking disulfiram (Antabuse) consumes alcohol. The reaction that occurs is caused by the accumulation of:
- Acetaldehyde (Correct answer)
- Ethanol
- Acetone
- Methanol
Correct answer: Acetaldehyde
Disulfiram inhibits aldehyde dehydrogenase, causing toxic acetaldehyde to accumulate, which produces flushing, nausea, and cardiovascular symptoms.
Question 6: Which of the following is the most reliable indicator that a counselor is experiencing countertransference with an addicted client?
- Feeling empathy when the client describes trauma
- Feeling frustrated when a client relapses after extended sobriety
- Experiencing strong emotional reactions that reflect the counselor's own unresolved issues (Correct answer)
- Setting firm limits when a client is manipulative
Correct answer: Experiencing strong emotional reactions that reflect the counselor's own unresolved issues
Countertransference is identified by disproportionate or personally rooted emotional reactions in the counselor that are more about the counselor's history than the client's behavior.
Question 7: The AUDIT-C is a brief screening tool for alcohol use that consists of questions about:
- Consequences, urges, and tolerance
- Frequency, quantity, and binge drinking episodes (Correct answer)
- Withdrawal symptoms, cravings, and occupational problems
- Family history, age of onset, and comorbid disorders
Correct answer: Frequency, quantity, and binge drinking episodes
The AUDIT-C is a 3-item abbreviated version of the AUDIT covering drinking frequency, typical quantity, and frequency of heavy drinking.
MAC Master Addiction Counselor Exam MCQ 4
A client with alcohol use disorder is at highest medical risk of life-threatening withdrawal symptoms during which timeframe after last drink?