____________________________________ Substance Use Disorders: Assessment and Treatment, 2nd Edition
Therapist : OK, then what happened? Tom : Some of my friends came by in a car and wanted me to go riding with them. Therapist : Just so I can be clear, were these friends that you usually drink with? Tom : Yeah, I guess. Therapist : Were they drinking when they came to get you? Tom : Well, they were, but nobody was wasted or anything. Therapist : What happened then? Tom : I got in and we rode around. Therapist : Did you do any drinking? Tom : Not right away. I had a little weed. I was just so bored, and I hadn’t seen these guys in a long time. Therapist : You said, “Not right away.” So, did you drink? Tom : They had a couple of six-packs, and we were just riding around, listening to the radio, talking, laughing. It felt good, so I had a few beers. Therapist : I want to be clear about this. You were aware that you were on probation and that a term of that probation was that you would not drink or use any substance and that by using you were violating the terms of your probation. Tom : Well, yeah, I know that. I just wasn’t thinking about it just then. Therapist : About what time was it when you were riding around? Tom : I think maybe about 1:00 in the morning. Therapist : Did you ever think that your mother might be worried about where you were and what was happening? Tom : Don’t make me laugh. She was passed out drunk on the couch when I left. Most of the time she doesn’t know if I’m there or not. Therapist : OK, so it’s 1:00 in the morning, you and your friends are driving around, smoking pot and drinking. Then what happened? Tom : We ran out of beer. I know this little gas and grocery store way out in the country near where my grandparents live. We drove there. It’s run by old man Hollister. Half the time he forgets to lock the back door. So, we went there and got two cases of beer. Therapist : So, you broke into this store and stole two cases of beer. Tom : We didn’t break in; the back door was open. We just grabbed two cases from the storeroom. We’ve done it before. We never take anything from the cooler, just from the back storeroom. Hollister doesn’t even know it’s gone. Therapist : OK, so after you stole the two cases of beer, then what happened? Tom : We drove around out in the country until we found an empty field. We pulled in, got some wood, started a fire, and drank the beer.
Therapist : So, you trespassed on someone’s property, had a fire, and drank your stolen beer; then what happened? Tom : I guess we were being pretty loud, playing the radio, laughing and all. We were pretty wasted. Anyway, the next thing I know, the sheriff is there, arrests us, and takes us to the county lockup. Therapist : Let me take a piece of paper and outline what you’ve told me. [The therapist makes the following chart, noting each item as it is written down.]
Therapist : OK, Tom, because of what happened last Friday night you are facing some serious time in juvenile detention. You violated your probation by smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol; you were in possession of a controlled substance, whether it was actually yours or not; you broke into a store and stole two cases of beer; and you went onto someone’s property, started a fire, and made a bit of a nuisance of yourself. Whether you think you did anything wrong or not, you are still in a lot of trouble. Now, when you look at the outline we made of what happened on Friday night, do you see anything you could have done differently that would have saved you all the trouble you now face? Tom : I guess I could have just ridden around with my friends and not smoked any dope or drunk any beer. Therapist : How likely do you think it would be that you could have actually done that? I mean, these are the people you have been drinking and doing drugs with for a while.
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