Case study: The cognitive behavioral treatment of a multiple-drug abuser

Drug abuse treatment has traditionally focused on management of the physical aspects of withdrawal. Treatment of the psychological aspects of drug abuse and the issue of maintenance of the drug-free state is often not addressed. This case study describes the cognitive behavioral treatment of a multiple-drug-using physician. Treatment focused on management of the psychological aspects of the acute stages of withdrawal, the elicitation, examination and refutation of cognitions supporting drug use, and the provision of relapse prevention strategies via in vivo behavioral rehearsal. The similarity of the treatment techniques used to an existent model of relapse, which emphasizes a cognitive behavioral approach, is discussed.