The CAGE is a screening technique that was developed in the 1970s to detect alcohol dependence. The four questions asked are: “Have you ever felt the need to cut down on your drinking? Have you ever felt annoyed by someone criticizing your drinking? Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking? Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves and get rid of a hangover? (eye-opener)” (Hester & Miller, 2003). If a person responds “yes” to at least two of the questions, their test is considered positive. A positive test indicates the need for further assessment and/or reference to an alcohol treatment specialist. Although the CAGE has been proven effective in determining whether or not an individual is alcohol dependent, it has several major deficiencies: “it does not assess current problems, levels of alcohol consumption, or binge drinking” (Hester & Miller, 2003). It is recommended that when using the CAGE, accompany it with questions regarding quantity, frequency, and binge drinking in order to make up for its weaknesses.
The CAGE has been modified before with the intention of better fitting specialized groups of people. For instance, the TWEAK was created for pregnant women. It differs from the CAGE by exchanging a question on tolerance for the question that previously asked about guilt, editing the question concerning annoyance, and adding a question that asks about amnesia. The questions asked in the TWEAK are: “How many drinks can you hold? (three or more suggests tolerance) Have close friends or relatives worried or complained about your drinking in the past year? Do you sometimes take a drink in the morning when you first get up? (eye-opener) Has a friend or family member ever told you abou...
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... about their drinking habits. Although the CAGE has its faults, more often than not, it has been proven to be an effective tool used to detect alcohol dependence. It is overall a reliable source used by a large number of clinics that leads to people getting the help that they truly need.
Works Cited
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Treatment for substance abuse vital to reduce prison recidivism rate, The Medical News, March 14, 2008,http://www.news-medical.net/news/2008/03/14/36306.aspx
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A psychological assessment is defined as “the gathering and integration of psychology-related data for the purpose of making a psychological evaluation that is accomplished through the use of tools such as tests, interviews, case studies, behavioral observation, and specially designed apparatuses and measurement procedures” (Cohen, Swerdlik, &Sturman, 2013). Although examiners strive toward the assessment being good enough to be useful, they sometimes have to make decisions about what type of error is acceptable. There are many psychological assessments that have been used in the study of addictions, but we will take a look at the Addiction Severity Index.
“Ultimately, diagnosis of a substance use disorder or PTSD relies on clinical assessment using DSM criteria. Screening instruments exist that can help uncover or point the way toward a potential diagnosis. For alcohol use disorders, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the AUDIT-Consumption (AUDIT-C) have been widely validated as self-report screening measures. A single-item screening measure was recently validated for drug use disorders consisting of the single question, “How many times in the past year have you used an illegal drug or used a prescription medication for nonmedical reasons?” A response of 1 time or more yields a positive screen.” -Returning Veterans With Addictions. (2011, July 11). Psychiatric Times. Retrieved Februa...
Most alcoholics proceed to a stage where their brains or their bodies have been so harmed by alcohol that the effects persist even when they are not drinking. This stage may be reached...
Colker, A. C. (2004). Pharmacotherapy treatment of alcoholism and drug addiction: Overview and bibliography. Retrieved from http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=14417
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Alcohol is the most commonly used addictive substance in the US. One in every 12 adults suffers from alcohol abuse. Alcohol addiction is very common in modern ...
Frey and Schonbeck explain that it is estimated that over 76 million people worldwide are affected by alcohol abuse or dependence. The chance of having an alcoholic in one’s life is very high. Children that grow up in an environment with an alcoholic may increase that child’s chance of becoming an alcoholic themselves. In the United States, the most commonly abused drug among youth is alcohol. Even though the legal drinking age is 21, nearly 20% of all alcohol consumed in the United States is by people under the legal age (83). In fact, when youth start drinking at social events in their teenage years, they are greatly increasing their risk of developing alcohol problems (85). Alcoholism can affect people of all ages. Furthermore, some experts try to differentiate between alcoholics and social drinkers. Typically, they base this off of five categories. Social drinkers do not drink alone. They consume minimal amounts of alcohol during social functions. Situational drinkers may not ever drink unless they are stressed out. These drinkers are more likely to drink by themselves. Problem drinkers can be described as a drinker that alcohol has caused problems in their life. However, they usually respond to advice given by others. Binge drinkers are out of control in their alcohol consumption. They may drink until they pass out or worse. Alcoholic drinkers have found that their lives have become unmanageable and that they are completely powerless over alcohol (84). Alcoholics should be cautious of their surroundings to prevent
Today, one out of every thirteen adults abuse alcohol or are alcoholics. That means nearly thirteen million Americans have a drinking problem. (www.niaaa.nih.gov) This topic offers a broad range of ideas to be researched within the psychological field. For this particular project, the topic of alcoholism and the psychological effects on people best fit the criteria. Alcoholism is defined as a disorder characterized by the excessive consumption of and dependence on alcoholic beverages, leading to physical and psychological harm and impaired social and vocational functioning. (www.dictionary.com) Through this project, the most important information regarding personal experiences dealing with alcoholism will be revealed. Not only are statistics, like the facts mentioned before, important when dealing with an issue such as alcoholism, but personal accounts and information are often more powerful and influential evidence. Non-alcoholics should be allowed to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for research purposes.
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According to the American Heritage Dictionary, alcoholism is defined as "the compulsive consumption of and psychophysiological dependence on alcoholic beverages." It is a problem that can tear apart marriages and families, cause someone to lose his job, and many more negative results. In order to recover from this dependency a person must lose his desire for and dependence upon alcohol, continue to remain sober, and resolve all conflicts caused by the alcohol abuse. There are several alternatives an alcoholic has to rehabilitate himself. The best solution is a combination of individual therapy and a support group like Alcoholics Anonymous.
Generally speaking, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) references substance dependence (in this case, alcohol) as a cluster of cognitive, behavioral, and physiological symptoms that shows that the person is continuing use of the substance even with adverse effects on the individual’s life. Specifically, for a person to be diagnosed with substance dependence they must show at least three of the following symptoms; tolerance, withdrawal, substance being taken in larger amounts of over a longer period of time than intended, an unsuccessful desire or effort to control the use of the substance, there is a great deal of time devoted to the drug, important social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced due to the substance, and the individual continues use of the substance even with the knowledge that the substance is causing physical or psychological problems (APA, 2000).
Wechsler, H., Nelson T., & Weitzman, E. (February 2000). From Knowledge to Action. Change [On-line], Available: www2.gasou.edu/library/ (Galileo)(EBSCOhost)(Search=Alcohol Abuse).
...y therapy in the treatment of alcohol-related problems: A review of behavioural family therapy, family systems theraphy and treatment matching research. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, (17)3, 13-23.