A nurse is working with a client diagnosed with co-occurring disorders who is in the early stages of recovery. The client has abstained from alcohol for the past three weeks. During a follow-up visit, the nurse is educating the client on the effects of alcohol on the body. Which factor would be most important for the nurse to keep in mind about the client?

Question

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Many clients seeking alcohol or drug abuse treatment experience transitory cognitive impairment, which usually resolves within the first month of abstinence. Clients often experience difficulties with disorientation, clouding of consciousness, incoherent thoughts, memory loss, and delirium, which may hinder their ability to learn new concepts. Wernicke's syndrome is a reversible, alcohol-induced, amnestic disorder caused by a thiamine-deficient diet; Korsakoff's psychosis is characterized by a loss of recent memory and confabulation (or filling in the blanks in memory by making up facts to cover this deficit). If either of these conditions is present, cognitive problems may last longer. The client with this condition is highly suggestible, has poor judgment, and cannot reason critically. The effects of substance abuse may lead to difficulty in learning but will not prevent the client from being able to learn.

A Nurse Is Working with a Client Diagnosed with Co-Occurring