Hidden Addictions: Assessment Practices for Psychotherapists, Counselors, and Health Care Providers

Media portrayals and diagnostic criteria convey an image of an addicted person as someone whose deficient coping skills and severely compromised functioning are readily apparent. Yet addictions remain some of the most frequently missed diagnoses in health and mental health care settings. This occurs, in large part, because most people with addictions do not fit the stereotype. In the context of psychotherapy, the typical patient with an addiction will present depression, anxiety, marital problems or a general sense that life is not working. This book addresses how addictions can be recognized more often and accurately assessed in the context of psychotherapy. Along with learning about the standard assessment instruments, the reader is introduced to methods for asking the appropriate questions and listening to the clinical dialogue for signs of a undisclosed addiction. This book provides a great deal of knowledge about addictions and their assessment in a way that is relevant to clinical practice.