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NURS 6630 Week 10 Assignment: Assessing and Treating Patients With Impulsivity, Compulsivity, and Addiction CA$13.22   Add to cart

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NURS 6630 Week 10 Assignment: Assessing and Treating Patients With Impulsivity, Compulsivity, and Addiction

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Assessing and Treating Patients With Impulsivity, Compulsivity, and Addiction Impulsivity, compulsivity, and addiction are challenging disorders for patients across the life span. Impulsivity is the inclination to act upon sudden urges or desires without considering potential consequences; patients...

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  • August 7, 2022
  • 8
  • 2022/2023
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Assessing and Treating Patients With Impulsivity, Compulsivity, and

Addiction Introduction



Indeed, Mental Health and Addiction Insurance Health (MHIA) estimate that every

one in ten adults in the United States who have substance use addiction has a higher

risk of experiencing co-occurring mental disorders such as mood disorders and

depression. Mental disorders are in most cases comorbid in substance and alcohol use.

Alcohol abuse and physiological dependence can occur with other psychiatric

conditions hence said to be comorbid. Comorbidity of substance abuse and mental

disorders have the ability to worsen the course of each other. In many cases, drug

addiction is considered a mental problem because it has the propensity to change the

brain resulting in compulsive behaviors that can weaken a person’s ability to control

his impulses, therefore, bearing a similar hallmark to mental disorders. Alcohol abuse

may bring about symptoms of mental conditions as in the case of alcohol where

clinicians suggest that increased risk of psychosis in alcohol users can be as a

possible indicator.



Additionally, predisposing genetic vulnerabilities may make certain individuals

susceptible to both mental illnesses and substance abuse. Other contributors to

comorbidity may include stress, trauma such as sexual and physical abuse, and early

exposure to medicines. Comorbidity addiction is more common in men as they tend

to suffer antisocial tendencies than in women who tend to experience mood and

anxiety disorders and is considered developmental as the earlier the symptoms of

mental illness the higher the risk of later drug abuse. One of the most fundamental

principles that emerge from comorbid addiction is the need to treat concurrently and

in the process evaluate and identify both with an aim of treating both. This essay

, will highlight some of the decisions that are made on the medication to prescribe to

this 53-year old Puerto Rican female with comorbid addiction as well as how ethical

considerations will impact on her treatment.



Decision #1




Provision of medication based on the comorbid mood disorder she is

experiencing in addition to alcohol use and gambling disorder



The patient in this case study was a 53-year old Puerto Rican female who presented

to my office with what she initially considered an embarrassing problem. She

reported that she had alcohol use problems since her father died and for the past 25

years she had been on and off as an alcohol user. Mrs. Perez also stated that she

had a gambling problem at her casino where she gets “high” and drinks bottles of

beer. She stated that the gambling problem often causes her to get a few drinks and

even enjoys smoking as well. Additionally, she presented with a sad mood that

comes after episodes of getting high from smoking, drinking, and gambling. From the

presenting complaints, I diagnosed her with alcohol use and gambling disorder that is

comorbid with an unstable mood that fluctuates.



I chose this decision because in many cases of psychiatric disorders for instance

bipolar disorders there is an associated risk factor for drug abuse. Conversely, the

most severe symptoms of mood fluctuations and bipolar disorders are often observed

in the course of alcohol and substance use. Alcohol use and substance abuse may at

times affect neurotransmitters in the brain that are involved in psychiatric conditions.

Alcohol use and smoking may prompt the symptoms that were observed in her such

as sadness and mood changes. Therefore, the best medication to be chosen for this

patient was Lithium given in combination with Naltrexone that improves mood and

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