Counseling addicted families vs Integrated treatment for co-occurring disorders

Counseling addicted families

Gerald A. Juhnke

2006

Although one person's addiction almost inevitably affects his or her family members, a surprising number of treatment models appear to operate under the assumption that an individual's addiction occurs in a vacuum. By not paying sufficient attention to preexisting family dynamics-whether dysfunctional, supportive, or somewhere in between-counselors run the risk of not fully understanding the roots of an individual's addictions or the obstacles to his recovery; as a result, counselors may undermine their own treatment efforts both by neglecting any underlying family problems and by failing to capitalize upon a family's potential assistance in an intervention with the addicted individual. In Counseling Addicted Families, Gerald A. Juhnke and William Bryce Hagedorn address this problem head-on. Recognizing that even those treatment providers who understand the importance of the familial context of addiction are often stymied by the variety of family treatment theories and their often imperfect fit for cases of addiction, Juhnke and Hagedorn provide a truly integrated model for assessment and treatment. Based upon the authors' combined 23 years of experience in clinical and treatment supervision, the Integrated Family Addictions Model consists of six progressive treatment tiers which organize the relevant family treatment theories into a graduated and coherent sequence, beginning with the briefest and least costly forms of therapy. If one of the lower tiers allows clients to reach their treatment goals, the patient and therapist need not waste time and resources following the full continuum. If, however, their needs are still unmet, they can progress in a logical fashion to more advanced and intensive forms of therapy. The book is divided into three broad topic areas designed to provide counselors and graduate students with essential information both about addictions and about the practical applications of various treatment theories. Part One discusses the prevalence of

Integrated treatment for co-occurring disorders

Sharon C. Ekleberry

2008

Integrated Treatment for Co-Occurring Disorders addresses a complex client population, which presents service providers with significant professional challenges. Underlying personality disorders compromise treatment effectiveness for medical, other psychiatric, or trauma services, as well as the ability these individuals have in adhering to probation, parole, or court-ordered treatment requirements. A co-occuring substance use disorder amplifies the difficulties experienced by personality-disordered individuals, exacerbates the precarious nature of their relationships, and raises the skill level needed by service providers attempting to help them. There can be significant professional satisfaction in working effectively with the interplay of addiction and disorders of personality. The book brings focus to the specifics of assessment and treatment for this type of co-occurring disorder and suggests that greater adaptability, fewer self-sabotaging behaviors, and an abstinent lifestyle are all possible. Recovery from both disorders is the journey these individuals take toward greater maturation, reliable impulse control, and coping skills that are not dependent upon the evasion of the demands of living or use of substances to manage stress or uncomfortable affect. Recovery is possible, and service providers can assist these clients on their path to wellness.