Concurrent Disorder Case Study Reflection

As a part of group case presentation for understanding concurrent disorders faculty divided the class in to different groups with 4 members. My group consists of 4 members and we select Ben’s case study for case presentation. For the group presentation each group member have different roles and my role is act as a case manager in the Ben’s case. It was really a nice experience for me as work in a group. There are 4 parts in case presentation such as defining concurrent disorders, Theoretical frameworks, Factors that shape concurrent disorders and stigma and discrimination. For this presentation first we made a group contract and divide each part for group members. Based on the group contract I have the topics like defining concurrent disorders, Models of care, Research report for prevalence of concurrent disorders. Each group members actively worked on their part but unfortunately we made some mistakes during our presentation.

After reading the Ben’s case study I understood that concurrent disorder is when a person is suffering with not only substance use problems but also mental health problems. I am a health care professional in India, during my post-graduation in psychiatric nursing I got a chance to meet with a person suffering from concurrent disorder. After talking with him I understood that a person is living with concurrent disorders he is feeling loneliness, anxiety, depression and face a lot of stigma and discrimination not only with in the family members but also in the community. Once I support him it will a great relief for them and motivation to live well against the stigma and discrimination by the society.

When I am living with a person with concurrent disorder I will care the person as much as possible because caring people is my compassion and helping people to help themselves is my policy. In my own experience I felt that Individuals living with concurrent disorders may have impact that their relationships with families, friends and in society, legal status in society, financial status, employment status, and housing. They may also have negative impact on their mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. The physical impacts like Changes in appetite, body temperature, sleep patterns, breathing problems and body pain. The person also have lack of self-confidence, and feeling of self-stigma starts saying that it is incapable to recover from the disease and can’t able to live in this society. Then, it impacts a person emotionally and they seems to be emotionally weak as he starts sharing his feeling very rare with someone and feel depression leads to suicidal thoughts and ideations.

Also, it disturbs their whole family and friend’s circle as many of the family members can’t able to accept that their relative has concurrent disorder. Many relatives find difficult to understand about concurrent disorders and can’t able to identify the ways to treat them. The emotional effects of substance use and mental health problems are different. It includes unexpected mood swings, depression, and confusion while doing any kind of task. Also, sometimes a person cannot able to tolerate his emotions that increase his mental stress and it will leads to increase the consumption of amounts of substance use and also there is chance of involved in bad activities. In addition, it has an impact on a person’s social life. They are always interested to stay away from family meetings as well as friend’s meetings.

We have a look to Ben’s case study, he is a 24-year-old single male. He has been working as a plumber’s assistant for the last couple of years. He reports an active social life with his friends and all of them do some type of drug or another. Last year Ben tested positive for HIV, he indicates that. HIV AIDS is clearly a plot to wipe out the gay community. He has prescriptions for AZT and protease inhibitors but he has not been able to take them consistently because they are expensive. Ben says he doesn’t do any other drugs but has tried them all. Occasionally he will drink some whiskey but lately, his stomach has been really giving him trouble. He is actively involved in speed balls. Ben tells that quite frankly he is very much care about sharing needles but he don’t know how to get HIV and when he gets too bad and too sick from the AIDS he’ll take himself out.

From this case I understood that he is very much stigmatized due to his illness and he seems to be more depressed because of his illness and he is not interested to receive help from others for his disease. As a Mental Health and addiction worker, I will help the patients who is suffering with concurrent disorders. I will made a treatment plan based on the case and help the client as well as the family members to solve their problems due to concurrent disorders and also give awareness regarding the resources available in the community for clients who is suffering with concurrent disorders.

In Ben’s case first I will provide emotional support and suicide intervention plan to Ben to reduce his thoughts of self-harm. Then I provide an awareness about AIDS and help him to find fund for his medicine. And also find resources that help Ben to receive free services for his treatment, employment and economic support for his life.

Moreover, I give more importance in emotional, physical, social and mental support not only to clients who is suffering with concurrent disorders but also to their family members.