| Course | PS511 Chemical and Psychological Dependency Counseling |
|---|---|
| Unit | Unit 8 |
| Paper type | Discussion board post |
| Length | About 510 words, 2 pages double-spaced |
| Format | APA 7 discussion post |
| School | Purdue University Global |
| Program | MS in Psychology |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for PS511 Unit 8
The Anniversary in March: A PS511 Unit 8 Discussion Board Post Applying Relapse Prevention to a Widower's High-Risk Days
PS511 · Unit 8 Discussion Board Post
Posted by [Student Name]
The writer, the clinic, the client and the classmates are composite; the sources cited are real.
Initial Post
Arvid, the 63-year-old widower from my Unit 3 case, has not had a drink in nine weeks. He completed an outpatient withdrawal plan with his doctor, takes naltrexone and goes to Thursday coffee with his old friends again. In two weeks it will be one year since his wife died, and he has told me, "That day, I don't know."
Witkiewitz and Marlatt (2004) treat a return to drinking as something that unfolds over time and through many interacting parts, not as one event. High-risk situations, such as negative emotions, social pressure or conflict, interact with a person's coping skills, self-efficacy, craving and expectations about what alcohol will do. One drink can become a return to old habits through what they call the abstinence violation effect: the person decides the slip proves total failure and stops trying. Small changes in one factor, such as a bad night's sleep, can tip the whole system.
For Arvid, I see three high-risk situations in the next month: the anniversary itself, the evenings alone in the garage where he used to drink and Sundays, when he used to go to church with his wife. His coping skills are new, and his self-efficacy is shaky, but he expects alcohol to make the pain "go quiet," which is a powerful expectancy.
The anniversary is not only a sad day for Arvid; it is a test of every factor in the model at once.
Our plan names each situation and a response. On the anniversary, his daughter will spend the day with him and they will visit the cemetery together. For garage evenings, he will move the woodworking bench to the kitchen until spring. For Sundays, the pastor has invited him to the early service and lunch afterward. We also planned what to do if he slips, so that one drink does not become the whole story: call me or his daughter that day and come in the next morning.
Bowen et al. (2014) compared three aftercare options in a trial; the two skills-based groups, one built on coping plans and one adding meditation, each beat ordinary aftercare, and a year out the meditation group drank and used on fewer days. I plan to teach Arvid a short breathing practice for the moments when craving rises.
Classmates: how do you prepare a client for a known high-risk date?
Reply to Paige
Paige, your client's first family reunion sober is a good example. Witkiewitz and Marlatt (2004) would say the reunion matters less than the coping plan and the client's confidence going in.
Reply to Theo
Theo, I agree that mindfulness can feel strange to some clients. Bowen et al. (2014) used an eight-week group, so a shorter version may need to be adapted.
References
Bowen, S., Witkiewitz, K., Clifasefi, S. L., Grow, J., Chawla, N., Hsu, S. H., Carroll, H. A., Harrop, E., Collins, S. E., Lustyk, M. K., & Larimer, M. E. (2014). Relative efficacy of mindfulness-based relapse prevention, standard relapse prevention, and treatment as usual for substance use disorders: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry, 71(5), 547-556. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.4546
Witkiewitz, K., & Marlatt, G. A. (2004). Relapse prevention for alcohol and drug problems: That was Zen, this is Tao. American Psychologist, 59(4), 224-235. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.59.4.224
What the PS511 Unit 8 assignment asks for
The Unit 8 board asks you to apply a relapse prevention model to one client's high-risk situations. Describe the client's recovery so far and the period ahead. Explain a recognized model of relapse from a primary source, including how a lapse can become a relapse. Identify at least three high-risk situations specific to the client and connect each to factors in the model, such as coping, confidence, craving or expectations. Write a plan that pairs each situation with a response, and include what the client will do if a lapse happens. Add one evidence-based strategy and cite it. Ask peers about a challenge in relapse prevention, and reply to two of them with a situation or coping response they missed.
How this PS511 Unit 8 example is built
The post opens with Arvid's nine sober weeks and his uncertainty about the anniversary. A paragraph explains Witkiewitz and Marlatt's dynamic model and the abstinence violation effect. A paragraph names three high-risk situations, the anniversary, garage evenings and Sundays, and links them to his new skills, shaky confidence and expectations about alcohol, under a highlighted line about the anniversary testing every factor. A plan pairs each situation with a response and adds a same-day call after any slip. A paragraph reports Bowen and colleagues' trial and adds a breathing practice. Replies discuss a sober family reunion and adapting an eight-week group.
Where the points sit in the PS511 Unit 8 rubric
Instructors credit posts that apply a relapse model to the client's specific situations rather than listing generic triggers. An accurate account of the model, including how a lapse turns into a relapse, is expected. Each high-risk situation should be tied to a factor the model names, which shows the grader where the danger comes from. A plan that pairs every situation with a concrete response, and includes what to do after a lapse, shows clinical planning. Adding an evidence-based strategy with a fair summary of its research shows use of the literature. Replies earn credit for adding a situation or coping response. Prompt posting, sufficient length and APA style also count.
Common PS511 Unit 8 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Weak posts on this board list triggers such as stress, people and places without connecting them to the client or to a model. Another common gap is a plan that assumes the client will never drink again, with nothing for the day after a slip, which is when the abstinence violation effect does its damage. Some students cite mindfulness-based relapse prevention as superior in every respect, though the trial found both active treatments helped. Posts also tend to skip expectations about what alcohol will do, which is often the strongest factor. Before posting, check that each situation has a date or setting, a model factor and a response, and that the lapse plan names who the client will call.
Get a PS511 Unit 8 example written to your instructions
Share the prompt and the rubric. A custom post applies relapse prevention to one client's high-risk situations. Free the first time, delivered within 24-48h. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.
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PS511 Unit 8 questions, answered
What is the abstinence violation effect?
The reaction to a lapse with guilt and a sense of failure that can turn one slip into a full relapse.
Is mindfulness-based relapse prevention effective?
In a randomized trial, it matched standard relapse prevention early and did better on some drug and drinking outcomes at a year.
What should a reply add?
A high-risk situation or coping response the classmate missed.
Where can I find a free PS511 Unit 8 sample paper?
The PS511 Unit 8 relapse prevention post for a widower facing a first anniversary is reproduced above, replies included.
What happens after a slip in the PS511 Unit 8 sample plan?
The client calls the counselor or his daughter that day and comes in the next morning, so one drink does not become a relapse.