Counselling People on Prescribed Drugs

`Hammersley explores the uses and limitations of drug therapy for patients suffering from depression, anxiety and related disorders... Although many therapists welcome psychopharmacology for their clients, there are still many who feel that drug treatment is a stop-gap measure at best. This book provides an examination of the issue and offers some good advice about helping clients withdraw from drugs and cope with their realities drug-free′ - Contemporary Psychology

This practical guide is for practitioners working with clients taking prescribed drugs. Describing the uses and limitations of psychotropic drugs and their effect on the counselling process, the author shows how clients′ underlying and often deep-seated problems cannot really be solved until they are drug-free and have recovered from their drug use.

Providing a sound theoretical base and factual information backed up by case examples, Diane Hammersley lays down guidelines for assessment, drug withdrawal and the appropriate counselling approaches to consider while clients are still taking drugs or are withdrawing from drug use. She also explores more complex problems - such as overdosing, psychotic episodes and antisocial behaviour - and suggests when and how to counsel and when to refer on.