Week 5 Discussion: Cynthia Is A 27-Year-Old Female Who Drink

Week 5 Discussioncynthia Is A 27 Year Old Female Who Drinks Four To Fi

Week 5 Discussion Cynthia is a 27-year-old female who drinks four to five glasses of wine most days. She says it helps with the anxiety and sleep problems she has from a previous abusive relationship. She is in a healthy and loving relationship now and they are trying to conceive. For your initial post, discuss addiction-specific therapies and motivational interview strategies. Provide three to five specific techniques you would use in this scenario. Paper should be at least 300 words. Use at least two scholarly source to connect your response to national guidelines and evidence-based research in support of your ideas. Use inside citation. All sources must be referenced and cited using APA Style, including a link to the source.

Paper For Above instruction

Addressing Cynthia’s case requires a comprehensive understanding of addiction-specific therapies and motivational interviewing strategies that can effectively support her in reducing alcohol consumption, especially considering her desire to conceive and her history of abuse-related anxiety and sleep disturbances.

Motivational interviewing (MI) is a client-centered counseling approach that enhances motivation to change by exploring and resolving ambivalence. In Cynthia’s case, employing MI techniques can help her recognize her alcohol use as a barrier to her health goals and motivate her toward change. Three specific techniques include: open-ended questions to explore her feelings and reasons for drinking, reflective listening to validate her experiences and emotions, and eliciting change talk by asking her to articulate her desire, ability, and reasons to reduce alcohol intake (Miller & Rollnick, 2013). These strategies foster a supportive environment where Cynthia feels empowered to consider alternatives for managing anxiety and sleep issues without reliance on alcohol.

In addition to motivational interviewing, evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be instrumental. CBT helps individuals identify and modify thoughts and behaviors related to substance use and underlying mental health issues (NICE, 2017). For Cynthia, integrating CBT techniques can address her anxiety and sleep disturbances, offering her healthier coping mechanisms. Furthermore, pharmacotherapy may be considered, especially if her alcohol use is severe; medications such as naltrexone can reduce cravings and support abstinence (Jonas et al., 2014). Incorporating family or couples therapy could also enhance her support system, especially as she and her partner plan to conceive, which emphasizes the importance of a healthy environment free from alcohol exposure.

Other specific techniques include providing personalized feedback on her health risks associated with continued alcohol use, especially given her pregnancy plans, and setting collaborative goals with measurable outcomes. Motivational interviewing also involves negotiating and building her confidence in her ability to change, addressing fears related to withdrawal or relapse, and reinforcing her intrinsic motivation to pursue health for herself and her future child. These combined approaches, grounded in national guidelines such as those from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), can support Cynthia’s journey toward healthier behaviors and improved well-being.

References

  • Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (2013). Motivational interviewing: Helping people change (3rd ed.). Guilford Publications.
  • NICE. (2017). Alcohol-use disorders: Prevention and management. NICE guideline NG67. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng67
  • Jonas, D. E., Amick, H. R., Feltner, C., Bobashev, G., Jimerson, N., Hazen, A., ... & Garbutt, J. C. (2014). Pharmacotherapy for adults with alcohol use disorders in outpatient settings. JAMA, 311(18), 1889-1900. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/1890957
  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). (2020). Helping patients who drink too much: A clinician’s guide. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/clinical-guidelines
  • McHugh, R. K., & Weiss, R. D. (2019). Motivational interviewing in addiction treatment: Facilitating change and engagement. New York: Guilford Press.

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