Addiction is defined by the “inability to consistently abstain, impairment in behavioral control, craving, diminished recognition of significant problems with one’s behaviors and interpersonal relationships, and a dysfunctional emotional response” (American Society of Addiction Medicine, 2012).

Due to the difficult nature of addiction, it is a specialty area that requires helping professionals to have specific skill sets. For example, it is not uncommon to find many clients with an addiction who are misdiagnosed by professionals who have not had complete specific training in diagnosing addictions.

For this Assignment, review the week’s resources and select two skills that you consider essential to your work as a helping professional specializing in addiction.

*** Be very detailed in response, use bulleted point sub-headings and use 4 peer reviewed references.*****

Submit a 2- to 3-page paper that addresses the following:

• Describe the skills that you selected and explain how each is essential to working in addiction.
• Describe an example of how an addiction helping professional might use each of the skills that you selected.
• Explain which skill you consider to be most essential for an addiction professional and why. Support your response using the resources and the current literature.

References

Capuzzi, D., & Stauffer, M. D. (2016). Foundations of addictions counseling (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.

• Chapter 1, “History and Etiological Models of Addiction” (pp. 1–17)

Courtwright, D. T. (2012). Addiction and the science of history. Addiction, 107(3), 486–492.

Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Drugs and Public Policy Group. (2010). Drug policy and the public good: A summary of the book. Addiction, 105(7), 1137–1145.

Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.