Hidden Addictions: Assessment Practices for Psychotherapists, Counselors, and Health Care Providers

Media portrayals and diagnostic criteria convey an image of an addicted person as someone whose deficient coping skills and severely compromised functioning are readily apparent. Yet addictions remain some of the most frequently missed diagnoses in health and mental health care settings. This occurs, in large part, because most people with addictions do not fit the stereotype. In the context of psychotherapy, the typical patient with an addiction will present depression, anxiety, marital pr...