Marcella's Drug Use Case Studies

For Marcella, the nature and severity of her use is arguable. While she reports little use, the severity of the effects of her recent use are beyond what a recreational user would display. The negative consequences of her use, in this case, far outweigh the frequency of her substance use. Her motivation for change appears to be low; there is no indication that she is scared by her attempt, is remorseful for the attempt, nor is there any evidence she thinks she has an issue with substance use. Marcella’s strengths and resources are limited as well. Certainly, her only social support seems to be from her grandmother, as her friends, mother, and grandfather are all users to some degree. The only strength that has been identified is that she once did really well in school. A functional analysis of her use would likely indicate that Marcella is frustrated, confused, and longing for attention, love, and human contact. Her relationships in her family have made her to feel unwanted and abandoned, and this at a time of significant biological, hormonal, and cognitive changes in her life.
Under the …show more content…
Criterion (8) states the use may be is physically hazardous, and (9) is continuing the use in spite of the knowledge it is causing difficulties for the individual. Of these two, Marcella meets criterion 8. The final grouping is pharmacological criteria. These are (10) tolerance as evidenced by increasing the dose of the substance to reach the desired effect by the user, and (11) withdrawal, a physical condition that generate physical symptoms.
According to the DSM, Neither of criteria 10 or 11 are necessary to diagnose a substance use disorder. In total, Marcella meets only two of the criteria necessary to classify her as having a substance use disorder, and only two of the eleven are required (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Thus, according to the criteria, Marcella has a mild substance use disorder and should receive