Case Study 6

Eleanor is currently in need of the twelve steps self-help groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous. These and other twelve-step group are based on the premise that the members need to have a spiritual base upon which they can transform their lives. This higher power is the basis of their recovery. Eleanor at this point needs to have the feeling of the higher power to provide divine intervention in her life, to enable her to maintain her sobriety under all the pressure. She also needs to identify her powerlessness in the face of drugs and therefore have a clear view of the consequences of relapsing. There are other non-twelve steps groups she can join for the emotional turmoil she is facing, in addition to AA.
Psychotherapy in the case of recovering drug addicts is needed to be of different forms and include and wide, and comprehensive set of treatment plans such as support groups and rehab stays. In the case of Eleanor, rather than focus on one strategy in psychotherapy such as behavioral therapy, the sessions could also involve other techniques that will enable her “learn how to be more introspective and to understand the decisions she has made regarding substance abuse (Ahmadi, 2016).” This means that she will be able to examine the different problems that present themselves in her life and look for solutions that will divert her from the temptation of relapsing. Additionally, she will be able to adopt strategies that will enable her to cope with the depressive state she seems to be sinking in due to the pressure of raising her sister’s son and caring for her family.

With a combination of all these strategies, Eleanor is less likely to relapse even under all the pressure.

References
Ahmadi, K. (2016). What is a Self-Help Group?.  Psych Central. Retrieved on January 8, 2018, from https://psychcentral.com/lib/what-is-a-self-help-group/Karasu ,T.B (2005). Psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy, in Kaplan and Sadock’s Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry, Eighth Edition. Edited by Sadock BJ, Sadock VA. Philadelphia, PA, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. pp 2472–2498.