Case Scenario
The client is AD, a 23-year-old single woman who is recovering from a methamphetamine (meth) addiction. Her history of use started three years ago when she was attending college. Although she performed fairly well, the client felt unprepared for the academic challenges. She also felt lonely, as AD had to move out of the family house and move to another city to attend college, which led her to participate in many social events. At a party, she met her romantic partner, who introduced her to various substances, including meth.
Both of them started increasing their use of the drug throughout the years. After being unable to continue her studies, AD dropped out of college and began working part-time to support herself and her boyfriend financially. The client’s immediate family consists of a mother and a younger brother. Her father passed away in a car accident when the client was 19, and it strongly impacted AD’s mental health as well as the family’s financial standing and overall well-being.
Initially, AD entered the school on a scholarship, which put great pressure on her to perform well academically. Thus, she recalls that she started to use illicit substances to deal with her emotions and maintain a high level of energy to succeed. However, the overuse of meth led to severe changes in her physical and mental health – she experienced mood changes, paranoid thoughts, insomnia, and anxiety (Klein et al., 2023).
Furthermore, she lost her appetite, leading to rapid weight loss and reduced physical fitness. Problems with the client’s health and mental state affected her grades – she eventually dropped out as she was unable to maintain the scholarship. The client’s mother attempted to support AD, but she did not discover the use of drugs during the first year of the client’s increasing addiction. Furthermore, the mother was unable to financially support her daughter, as the family’s funds were limited.
The client decided to seek inpatient services after her boyfriend passed away because of a drug overdose. As the couple increased their intake, AD’s partner consumed a high level of meth in combination with fentanyl – a mix that greatly increases the risk of death (İvecen & Gökdemir, 2022). AD was absent from the apartment that day and came to find her boyfriend, who had already passed away.
According to the client’s story, this was a turning point for her, as she wanted to stop using drugs and find a life without addiction. In the following weeks, AD reached out to her mother, and they began rebuilding their relationship. Later, the client found a 90-day drug rehabilitation facility that offered free services to people with limited financial means.
Throughout the first eight weeks of the program, the client has successfully gone through detoxification and begun working on her physical and mental recovery. The selected facility offers individual cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), group counseling, and family therapy as the main approaches to addressing mental health concerns. Furthermore, it provides nutritional advice and resources to access healthier foods on a budget. Nonetheless, as the program is free, it focuses on group sessions and therapy rather than the use of medical treatments, which may be essential for some types of withdrawal. The facility collaborates with other local initiatives, including 12-step meetings, weekend group sessions, and various events for social enrichment, drug use awareness, and education.
While going through the program, AD attended all individual sessions and discussed her past, family, and romantic relationships to understand her triggers and cravings better. She also attended group meetings and established friendly relationships with others in the facility. Her family also showed interest in attending therapy to provide support, which positively affected the client’s resilience and ability to avoid relapsing. AD also reconnected with some of her college friends through online communication and visits. Ultimately, after the first eight weeks, AD showed that she could leave the facility on weekends to spend time with their family and friends.
Template Planning
Every type of drug can be highly addictive to people, both mentally and physically. However, some situations increase the risk of a person using due to stress, past experiences, and cravings. In the case of methamphetamine, some triggers may include changes in one’s environment, such as moving, stressful events, and being around people who use or suggest using illicit drugs (Matta, 2024). For instance, returning to a place associated with drug usage can raise the risk of relapse, as the individual may start thinking about meth or seeing supplies and items for the process.
Furthermore, socialization combined with risky actions, such as criminal activity, may raise the risk of drug use. In contrast, the lack of social interaction may also serve as a trigger, as the person may feel isolated, lonely, and even abandoned, thinking about drugs as a way of forgetting about negative emotions (McGovern et al., 2021). Cravings usually arise as a physical urge or a thought about substances, and they are often caused by thinking about the positive effects, such as high energy from meth (Paulus & Stewart, 2020). For the client, a specific trigger may be the trauma of losing her father and boyfriend – both situations were out of AD’s control, and she may compensate by monitoring her drug use. Moreover, the family’s financial difficulties and the loss of a college scholarship can heighten her desire to self-medicate.
The recovery template for weekends outside the facility must help clients remember their goals and feel prepared to tackle difficult situations. Even a small change in the environment can influence a person with an addiction and increase their cravings. Therefore, the template should include guiding questions for the client to consider. It also has to incorporate the information they already know.
For instance, the 12 steps that are often used in addiction and alcohol recovery help clients realize their addiction and take action to control it (12 Step, n.d.). Self-awareness is a vital part of this program because it helps people set realistic expectations for the behaviors they exhibit in their daily lives (12 Step, n.d.). The template should include some of these aspects to support the client’s reflection and analysis.
Relapse can hurt the client’s health, relationships, and life goals. Thus, the template will encourage her to consider negative consequences, leading her to develop a negative view of substance use. A major cause of relapse syndrome is a return to familiar places associated with drugs (Snyder, 2024).
To address this issue, the template will include a reflection on these locations and some other community resources that can be used instead. Furthermore, companionship and support are essential to address because a network of positive individuals can help clients not turn to drugs. The client can write down addresses, phone numbers, and other information about people she can contact to surround herself with uplifting, supportive individuals.
The stages of relapse may not be evident to the client, but their progression can disrupt the process of recovery. For instance, the first level is emotional, where a person may not actively engage in using drugs but can start thinking about them or experience strong feelings that weaken one’s resilience. The second state is mental relapse, as people start thinking about and craving substances (Moving Mountains Recovery, n.d.).
Finally, a physical relapse is the final step, where an individual actually uses drugs. The template can incorporate all three stages by providing the client with prompts to list emotions, thoughts, and behaviors that increase the risk of relapse. Furthermore, it is vital to address what the client should do if she takes drugs again. One must accept that relapse can occur and that it is not a sign that recovery is impossible. Some community resources should be listed at the end to provide a safety net in case of relapse.
References
12 Step. (n.d.). How 12 step programs deal with recovery and relapse.
İvecen, B., & Gökdemir, Ö. (2022). Methamphetamine addiction. DAHUDER Medical Journal, 2(4), 98-101.
Klein, T., Terry, D., & Peck, B. (2023). The experience of methamphetamine use disorder and the negative consequences of relapse–a qualitative study. Journal of Addictive Diseases, 42(2), 147-153.
Matta, N. (2024). Meth addiction: Signs, effects, and treatment. American Addiction Centers.
McGovern, W., Addison, M., & McGovern, R. (2021). An exploration of the psycho-social benefits of providing sponsorship and supporting others in traditional 12 step, self-help groups. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(5).
Moving Mountains Recovery. (n.d.). What are the different stages of relapse? (emotional, mental, physical).
Paulus, M. P., & Stewart, J. L. (2020). Methamphetamine use disorder: The next addiction crisis. JAMA Psychiatry, 77(9), 959-966.
Snyder, K. (2024). 90-day drug & alcohol rehab programs near you. American Addiction Centers.