Prevention Plan for a Relapse
PROBLEM DESCRIPTION
Ted is a Junior male under the care of her mother, Beverly. His drug of choice is recreational cannabis, also known as marijuana, which is a depressant. He admits to using it, and her mother even found evidence of it in his belongings. Ted has developed the habit of using the drug and has started even to skip classes and become bold and arrogant. Ted discloses that he was led into the habit due to society’s pressure and questioning of his sexual orientation, which he feels is more oriented to gay. He has suffered a lot due to sexual orientation as he has also been molested, which was stressing him out and led to him becoming a marijuana user. Ted lives with his mum, and she has been taking care of him, but she does not understand what he has been going through, and she only sees the change that he has undergone.
After being molested and told no one, Ted started having doubts about his sexual orientation. He has been stressed, and his indulging in marijuana for leisure has led to him not putting effort into his studies, and his results have started deteriorating. His teachers and his mother are worried as even his behavior has changed, which indicates he is becoming addicted to the smoking habit. Being ousted and harassed by his friends due to his episodes of being molested, Ted has found himself lonely, and it has led to him being hostile as he feels that no one understands him, and he has developed trust issues. The betrayal he got from his friend after confiding in him led to him starting skiving classes, and there he met his homosexual friend whom they smoke together, and he feels he has someone he can talk to without being judged.
Signs and symptoms of abuse
Ted presented with symptoms of marijuana abuse, as evidenced by the marijuana that his mother found in his possession. Also, his absenteeism in class to join his friend indicates symptoms of abuse. Other symptoms include strained relationships, withdrawal from social gatherings, becoming hostile to people, being more reserved, and feeling agitated easily. The lack of trust and control of the situation also indicates abuse of the drug to forget the issues facing him. Ted has admitted skipping classes to join his friend, whom they smoke together, which has affected his performance in class to a point where the teachers are worried about his dropping grades. Ted accepts being offended when anyone criticizes his behaviors and has become hostile as he views everyone as an enemy. He developed a fear of opening up after opening up to his best friend, which led to him being outed and tormented by his friends.
Referrals
- Ted needs to attend guidance and counseling sessions twice per week. This will help him in gaining courage and understanding his sexual orientation. It will be helpful as it will allow him to disclose and open up to a professional who will advise and help him control his smoking habits.
- He needs to attend psychiatric counseling to get help and also his depression to be evaluated. It will help in understanding his mental drain better, and they will help in quicker recovery.
- Get a full physical checkup in a clinic to understand the body changes that have happened to him.
- Attend anonymous healing sessions twice per week and provide attendance sheets. This will help avoid the smoking sessions and make him do something constructive that will help cope with the stress around him.
Risk/Protective Factors
From the sessions, it is evident that there is no history of drug and substance use in the family. According to his confessions, he started using the drugs after opening up to his best friend, who later led his friends and classmates to sideline him. That is when his struggles with smoking started as he found himself lonely, and he got to know the homosexual guy who introduced him to smoking. From the evidence given by the teachers and the mother, Ted is a bright student academically, but his grades have started going down. As concerned individuals, and as it is the first attempt to get him back on-line, the intervention will be beneficial if it will help him realize the need to be sober. The struggles and pains he has gone through have transformed him into a different individual, and it cannot be entirely blamed on smoking. The stigmatization he has been getting from his friends has also led to him changing and becoming hostile.
Family support is provided to him by his mother, who is most concerned about his sudden change to a point where he is physical and rough to her. Despite all this, she is still standing with him and supporting him, and she wishes to see him well again. This support will be essential to his well being after starting his counseling sessions.
Barriers to Treatment
- Stigma in school. Despite the efforts being put in to help him overcome the situation, the stigmatization he is receiving while at school will hinder his attaining full healing. The friends will take time before getting close to him and bridging the gap between them, making him indulge in smoking sprees.
- Ongoing stressors. The issues surrounding him that led to his current situation will not change as long as he is still in the same area. There is a need to take care of the stressors to avoid him relapsing into the same old habits.
- Untreated mental health issues. The wounds from the earlier experiences will still be etched in his mind, and they need to be addressed to avoid falling back to the habits after healing.
Plan for Discharge and Preventing Relapse
- Attend professional counseling for 1 month, twice per week.
- Continue with community-based meetings. This will help keep him engaged and have a platform to share worries with strangers who will support him.
- Remain in a mental health treatment program.
Progress
Before treatment, the client explained his conditions and owned up to smoking marijuana while skipping classes. He also explained having been under immense pressure from his surroundings and friends due to his experiences. He accepted feeling alienated and tired of people. He claims he feels lonely and enjoys his own company. He becomes angry easily and has a bad attitude. This has been influenced by the rejection and taunting he has received from his friends in the class. The interventions and the measures put in place will help him stop his habitual smoking and his drastic changes in his behavior.