Case Study
John is a 35-year-old heterosexual-identified male of mixed Cherokee and Euro-American heritage. He is being referred to you at the suggestion of his lawyer, following his second charge of driving while intoxicated (DWI) in 6 months.
During your intake interview with John, he states that his drinking feels “out of control.” An avid fan of his home sports teams, John states that he often watches games at David’s Pub and “gets pretty smashed sometimes” when he is there. Both incidents where John was charged with DWI occurred after leaving David’s Pub.
He states that he has relocated for his current job three times in the past 2 years. He has never been married and identifies feeling “very lonely” and having a strong desire to make friends and date. He states that he feels socially awkward about meeting women, and the only place he meets people is at the bar. He identified a strong camaraderie with other fans and enjoys his time there.
While John does acknowledge a desire to quit drinking, he is insistent that he does not want to give up going to David’s Pub: “I see people I know from town, and we enjoy watching our favorite teams. No way am I giving any of that up. That would mean staying at home with nothing to do.”
• Identify the preliminary diagnoses you are considering for this client and why.
• Identify what information you need to seek out to complete the diagnostic process. Include background, contextual information and any co-occurring disorders that may be present.
This is a Resource
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2018a). Common comorbidities with substance use disorders Links to an external site.. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/common-comorbidities-substance-use-disorders/what-are-some-approaches-to-diagnosis
