Background Information
Abby is a 32-years-old Caucasian-American single mother with six kids.
Patterns of Substance Use and Addictive Behaviours
She is addicted to alcohol, marijuana, methamphetamines, and cocaine. Her weekly spending on addictive substances is between 250 and 500 dollars. The first encounter with drugs was in her early childhood, when Abby was six years old.
Level of Dependence
The amounts of money Abby spends weekly on fulfilling her addictive desires and her long history of drug usage imply that she has an addiction problem. In addition, her household is unclean, and the children are often hungry, which is another indicator of a developed addiction (Faulkner & Faulkner, 2019).
Family Background and Social support
When Abby was little, her parents sold drugs, which was the main source of their primary income. Eventually, Abby’s father was sentenced to 45 years of imprisonment, and her mother began to live on the streets as a homeless person. Such an experience during her childhood could trigger her addictive behaviors. She also had a grandmother who helped Abby with the children before they were removed from Abby’s care. Currently, Abby receives social support in the form of money and food. After the investigation by Child Protected Services, she is enrolled in mandatory parenting and financial classes, substance abuse treatment, and other relevant programs.
Vocational and Financial Background Information
It is known that Abby supplied the family from at least three sources: the social support, her 70-year-old boyfriend, and the work at a strip club.
Relation of Addiction to Health Problems. There is no clear evidence of her physical health problems.
Mental Health Challenges
It can be assumed that Abby has developed mental issues resulting from substance abuse. The most obvious one is represented through her neglect of the children and household. Additionally, anxiety and depression disorders usually follow substance abuse (Faulkner & Faulkner, 2019).
State of Change
The mandatory social healthcare procedures and the loss of her parental rights can potentially influence Abby to improve her life and make better decisions in the future.
Reference
Faulkner, C. A. & Faulkner, S. (2019). Addictions counseling: A competency-based approach. Oxford University Press.