Patterns, drug problem

One area of research related to abuse or neglect has to do with how well a person fits within his or her social environment. One researcher, Marsha Linehan (1993), has talked about how a poor fit with the social environment (viz., not fitting into the family, school life, or other important social networks) may cause psychiatric problems if the poorness of fit causes the person to feel like an outsider or to feel constandy invalidated or put down. Many of my clients have told me that they have not felt part of their families or that they did not fit well into society in general, or have described themselves as black sheep. Abuse and neglect lead to an invalidating environment, but so can mismatches of personalities within families or mismatches of behavioral patterns with social norms. Furthermore, there is evidence that the way emotion is expressed in families can be associated with a poorness of fit that can influence the course of drug problems. 

If the client consents to involvement of family or friends, they can be good sources for information that can help you devise a thoughtful treatment plan. As mentioned earlier in this chapter, people with drug problems may have relationship stressors that need to be addressed in order to promote a successful treatment outcome. Being able to gather information from partners or friends about the nature of these stressors adds another dimension to understanding the source and treatment for the problems. Sometimes a family member or friend has a different view on the nature of a problem or on the behavior pattern related to a problem that may help you better understand how to treat it. 

Therapy must address the drug habit before a client with a drug problem can change the behavior. Habit implies a pattern of behavior that may be rote and automatic. Your role as a counselor or therapist is to increase clients awareness... 

Maxwell JC. Party drugs properties, prevalence, patterns and problems. Subst Use Misuse 2005 40 1203-40. 

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