DEMOGRAPHICS AND COMORBIDITY 45–year–old Irish Catholic Caucasian male, divorced, two children ages 20 and 18, youngest lives with mother, oldest lives outside home and attends community college, has an older brother and father who abuse alcohol and live in same city. Earned high school diploma, served in military with honorable discharge. Maintains gainful employment in the construction industry. SOCIOCULTURAL FACTORS Lives alone in modest apartment, dates women he meets in local bars. Maintains contact with brother and father, with whom he enjoys drinking, but brother and father drink much more than he does and they have each experienced multiple DUIs and arrests for public intoxication. Enjoys drinking with his peers from the construction company, and drinking is typically excessive. Alcohol is involved in almost all social situations, his “way of life.” Participates in local church only for major religious events. ADDICTION HISTORY Began drinking alcohol as a teen with peers. Drinking increased after enlistment in military with episodes of extreme alcohol abuse, but never impacted his military work performance that resulted in sanctions. His construction work performance can be negatively impacted from abuse of alcohol, but there is a high tolerance for drinking behavior in his industry and he has not been sanctioned for poor work performance. TREATMENT HISTORY Received court-ordered treatment after first DUI conviction three years ago. Was required to complete months of abstinence from alcohol and had to provide random urine screens to verify his abstinence. Successfully completed the treatment program without incident. Despite this criminal conviction and treatment, he does not perceive himself as an “alcoholic”. REASON FOR SEEKING TREATMENT Received his second DUI conviction in three years due to a severe automobile accident with minor injuries to himself and severe injuries to the driver and passengers in the other car. He has been court–ordered to treatment after serving time in jail. He will also have to see a probation counselor, submit random urine screens, and lose his driver’s license for one year.
