Clients Who Have Anxiety

many of these medications have the potential to be addictive and clients may believe that taking a pill for a quick fix is the recommended course of treatment. Social workers must establish quickly the understanding that supplementing medications with other types of cognitive or behavioral interventions can prove most effective (Cohen Steketee, 1998). For this reason, a behavioral-based contract should be initiated early in the intervention process, preferably before the medication is prescribed. By contracting prior to the medication, the client remains keenly aware that the pill is only one facet of a multidimensional approach to the treatment of anxiety disorders. 

Second, the intervention should be related directly to the identified stressor (Himle Fischer, 1998). This means that some agreement must be reached between the client and the practitioner as to the cause of the anxiety and how best it can be addressed. 

clearly defined contracts with goals and specific objectives can help both the social worker and the client stay on task (Plaud Vavrovsky, 

This will help the client know what to expect from treatment and can also serve as a road map for the intervention. 

These drugs are potentially addictive and therefore should be used for anxiety related to an identified stressor and not as a permanent solution. Address the anxiety that can prevent someone s functioning and dealing with the problem, and encourage the client to seek supplemental psychosocial interventions. 

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