Article Commentary: Calling for Help? Considering Function and Meaning when Patients Drunk-Dial Psychotherapists

• Main Authors: Kelly Serafini (Author), Donna LaPaglia (Author), Matthew Steinfeld (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: SAGE Publishing, 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 1178-2218; 10.4137/SART.S12423
• Keywords: Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270
• Source: Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment, Vol 7 (2013)

Drunk-dialing is a term documented in both popular culture and academic literatures to describe a behavior in which a person contacts another individual by phone while intoxicated. In our collective clinical experience we have found that clients drunk-dial their clinicians too, particularly while in substance use treatment, and yet there is a noticeable absence of research on the topic to guide clinical decision-making within a process-based understanding of these events. As the parameters within which psychotherapy takes place become increasingly technologized, a literature base to document clients' idiosyncratic use of technology will become increasingly necessary and useful. We provide a brief review of the existing research on drunk-dialing and conclude with specific questions to guide future research and practice.