Application of Clinical Psychology: Betty Ford
Courtney Bowers, Tina Colbert, Janell Thomas, Mervin Waldron
PSY/480
March 30, 2015
Tara Thompson
Application of Clinical Psychology: Betty Ford
Substance abuse can stem from a variety of biological, psychological, and social factors. These factors may vary from addict to addict, and it is the role of clinical psychology to examine the roots of addiction, and what type of treatment, such as interventions, would apply to and possibly work best for each individual. Interventions have to be rational as they apply to a patient, and the clinical psychology professional would have to have a plan as to who is involved, where will it be, what should happen, and what specific areas the intervention will focus on. We will examine the case study of Betty Ford, and uncover the possible reason for addiction as well as what type of interventions may work best and why.
The Case of Betty Ford
Many have heard of the Betty Ford Clinic, but most think Betty Ford, former first lady opened the clinic up because she wanted to help substance abuse addicts. In fact, that is precisely what she wished to accomplish, but for reasons other than just helping. Betty Ford was an addict herself. In 1978, Ford admitted that she was an addict, and a week later went into a treatment program. Inspired by the ability to overcome drugs and alcohol through treatment, in 1982, the Betty Ford Clinic was opened. Substance abuse doesn't lend itself to a particular economic, religious, academic, or cultural status. There are, however, clues to what may aid substance abuse. Clues may be found in the individual's biological makeup, psychological states and social factors (Meyers & Others, 2009).
Ford's mother required her children to adhere to her standards and ideas of perfectionism, yet Ford adored her mother. Betty's held views of her mother as a strong woman who never asked for help in handling adverse situations. Betty's father, also an alcoholic, traveled with work and was not a regular presence at home he died when she was 16. Betty's brother was also an alcoholic. Gerald Ford, Betty's husband, and President was also away from home leaving Betty as the principal caretaker of their four children. In 1964, Betty suffered from a pinched nerve in her neck, one treatment for the pain was medication, which she was told to take prior to pain as to not allow it to sneak up on her. As Gerald's run for presidency heightened, Betty's outlook of herself was lonely, unimportant, unaccomplished, and self-conscious. Drinking and medication addiction was hidden from most and little to no signs were shown. Betty had enablers such as family, friends, and even doctors. After her husband had won the presidency Betty was discovered to have breast cancer, this led to more medication. The role of first lady also came with a grueling pace, and many nights Betty used pills for rest, the signs of her addiction became more overt. Betty's addiction, after leaving the White House, grew along with her isolation (Meyers & Others, 2009).
Biological, Psychological, and Social Factors
Betty Ford’s addiction to prescription drugs and alcohol is what caused her to have a substance use disorder. Alcoholism and drug addiction disorders can be very severe and life threatening. Betty started drinking at a young age and as an adult continued drinking socially. Betty’s problems with prescription drugs and alcohol started after excruciating neck pain from a pinched nerve in her neck (Meyer & Others, 2009). Her condition worsened and even after treatment and intervention, she still had issues with her disorder late into her elderly life. Genetic predisposition and many psychological factors were responsible for Betty’s addiction (Meyer & Others, 2009). She was also seeking attention and felt walked on by her children and husband and a lack of being allowed to pursue her dreams and desires. Substance abuse disorder entails a person using a substance that is controlled and ending with abusing the substance were they acquire and addiction losing their ability to function without the substance and losing the capability to manage the substance properly. As time passes a person may build up a tolerance to the substance of choice needing bigger doses to give the same effect. When the amount of the substance is increased the individuals will have a difficult time discontinuing the use of the substance. When such a thing occurs immediately stopping the use of a substance there may be indications of withdrawal from not using the substance which often cause the individual to be sick and in what they believe to be excruciating pain. When such a thing occurs the individuals will be using the substance which may bring harm to their person. Persons who have substance abuse issues may want to cease using the substance or being addicted to it but need additional help as they are not able to stop on their own. The addiction and misuse of substance starts when a person is using it recreational or casually and later on develop a habit of using the substance. This habit of abusing the substance can cause alarming mental and physical ramifications. The vast majority of people with these particular problems do seek the help of family, friends, doctor's and groups of support to cease their behavior in abusing the substance . (Hansell & Damour, 2008). The two main factors on the misuse of a substance are family genes as well as environment. Nature and nurture play a heavy role in substance abuse. Heredity plays a part in substance abuse because the development of a habit may have been inherited in the family genes. The environment would play a factor in addictive behavior as a person being raised in a family of those who abuse a substance and think this is the norm and develops the same habit they have seen time and time again in their own environment. An individual’s psyche is a factor as well. When a person is addicted to a substance and misuses the substance the brain has neurons that may be altered do to the substance abuse .This, consequently, badly influences the discharge of neurotransmitters into the synapses which are situated in between nerve cells.
Intervention – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is therapy that is used with many different types of mental illnesses. CBT is therapy that is completely focused on finding relationships between people’s behaviors, thoughts, and feelings (National Alliance on Mental Health, 2015). According to National Alliance on Mental Health (2015), “Scientific studies of CBT have demonstrated its usefulness for a wide variety of mental illnesses including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, eating disorders, substance abuse disorders, sleep disorders and psychotic disorders” (para. 3). Mrs. Ford had a substance abuse disorder. CBT has been shown to help with this disorder. One way that is helps is by teaching patients how to avoid relapses. Using different methods, CBT teaches patients how to identify situations that could lead to relapse, such as needing pills to rest or deal with high anxiety in Mrs. Ford’s case, and teaches them other methods to deal with those situations so that they will not look to their substance of choice for copping (Marlatt and Donovan, 2005). Teaching ways to identify potential relapse situations coping methods for those situations are paramount for patients who suffer from substance abuse disorders like Mrs. Ford. CBT is administered in a clinical setting by a psychotherapist or therapist (The Mayo Clinic, 2015). CBT looks the psychological and social factors for this particular treatment. For Mrs. Ford is would look at the psychology of why she turns to substances to help her and how she can get out of that mindset. It would also look at social factors, such as how her lifestyle leads her to think she needs this way to dealing with things in her life. When she was actively living as the First Lady, her social obligations let her to be more stressed and anxious. That could have led to the problems she had with things like pain and lack of sleep. Figuring out the cause of these symptoms would help Mrs. Ford find other ways to deal with them and reduce her “need” for other substances with which to cope.
References
Hansell, J. & Damour, L. (2008). Abnormal psychology (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley
Marlatt, G.A., & Donovan, D.M. (2005). Relapse prevention (2nd ed.). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
Meyer, R., Chapman, K., Weaver, C. (2009). Case Studies in Abnormal Behavior, Eighth Edition. Pearson Education. National Alliance on Mental Health. (2015). Cognitive behavioral therapy? (CBT). Retrieved from http://www2.nami.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Inform_Yourself/About_Mental_Illness/About_Treatments_and_Supports/Cognitive_Behavioral_Therapy1.htm
The Mayo Clinic. (2015). Cognitive behavioral therapy. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cognitive-behavioral-therapy/basics/definition/prc-20013594
