Nursing Care of People with Substance Related Disorder and Dual Case Study

Nursing Care of People with Substance Related Disorder and Dual Diagnosis - Case Study Example Initially he liked drinking with his friends but over past few years, his drinking has become quite escalated to the extent he is alcohol dependent in order to cope with daily cores. His convulsive consumption of alcohol is very pronounced, since he says that normally he takes a couple of beers in the morning and ends in the evening by consuming two or three bottles of wine and some mixers. Joe also appears to be very depressed and hopeless as he explained that he was feeling very low and regrets about having lost the only things that matters to him. Looking at his medical history, he appears to have lost considerable weight, which he explains by saying that he does not like eating, and he lacks appetite most of times due to nausea. It appears that Joe is in need of nursing care of people with substance related disorder and dual diagnosis. Dual diagnosis refers to the comorbid condition of a person who is suffering from a substance abuse problem and mental illness (Elder, Evans & Niz ette, 2009). High-risk alcohol consumption is not a problem that affects Joe alone, but it is prevalent in Australia, with about 3200 people dying as a result of excessive alcohol consumption and around 81000 people being hospitalized annually (Australian Government, 2011). Moreover, the Australian community incurred approximately $15.3 billion in 2004/05 from alcohol-related social problems (Australian House of Representatives, 2010). Assessment: Biopsychosocial assessment It involves interview or interviews combined with physical and psychological examinations that are aimed at gathering all the information related to physical, psychological, and social issues that may be affecting problems such as addiction, emotional and personality difficulties (Myers & Salt, 2007). Joe, in his late 20s, appeared to have all signs of a late stage alcoholic developing into alcohol withdrawal. He looked sweaty, eyes dilated and his hands were trembling badly. His blood/alcohol level was at that m oment low. His nose and cheeks were red with tiny spider veins and when asked to extend his hands out in front, they were very tremulous. He looked more of a featherweight person with a distended abdomen. He scored high on the CAGE assessment test and did not have other drug substances in his system. Mental health status assessment Mental health assessment helps a healthcare practitioner to get the overall picture of how well a patient feels emotionally and their ability to think, reason, and remember (Fabricius, Langa & Wilson, 2008). He appears to have a memory lapse, as he cannot remember people close to him - he kept confusing their names. His thinking was relatively slow, and the speech was somehow slurred. It was apparent that he had lost control of his drinking and now his drinking has escalated. He was confused and depressed by his situation. The divorce and custody of his child appear to have added hopelessness and misery to his predicament. For most of the time, he was fee ling guilty and worthless for losing interest in things that were important in his life. His sleeping habit is quite troubled since he has to take alcohol in order to sleep. Substance use history Substance use history helps a doctor to assess dual diagnosis patient history of how they have been abusing substances, for what given timeframe and