Addiction Response

TEXT:
Drugs, Behavior, and Modern Society, 8th Ed (2013)

by Levinthal, Charles E

Original Question:

For this week’s Forum, respond to the following: This is your last forum in the course; this is a space to review and reflect on your learning experience. Your forum assignment this week has three parts. First, share with the class three “take-away” elements of the course that added to your understanding of addiction and substance abuse and that you believe will serve you well in the future in both your personal and professional lives. Explain why this is the case. For this portion of the discussion, give some thought to what stood out to you and why it did throughout the course. Listing and describing textbook content isn’t the goal here. Second, describe the three most meaningful experiences you had while participating in the course discussions with your classmates and instructor. Again, give this careful thought. Sharing ideas is a popular shared experience that can be said about any dialog between two or more people as long as the persons dialoging allow space for varying perspectives. If you use it here, say more. What about sharing ideas was meaningful while participating in our PSYC324 discussions? Third, complete the sentence below. Think information that you learned in completion of the course here rather than pre-formed opinion in place at the time we started 8 weeks ago and elaborate in the “because ________” space about why you picked what you did. “If I could pick just one thing that the world would be well-served to better understand about addiction it would be ________________. I chose this because ________________.” Don’t breeze through this assignment. It is graded for substance and careful thought just as all the forum posts are. This is a time to share with each other and with your instructor what you experienced via participation during the course in this learning community.

In addition, don’t forget your Question to the Class!

Reply to the following response with 200 words minimum. (please make response as if having a conversation, respond directly to some of the statements in below post. This is not providing an analysis of the original post. Respectfully address it and even ask clarifying or additional questions.)

1.

The first take away from the course that added to my understanding of substance abuse and addiction are the cognitive performance enhancing drugs. I did not know this was so popular in America, and especially among college, and high school students. I knew that people sometimes needed extra help to focus, but never knew they were taking drugs that are not prescribed by a doctor to promote focus. This stood out the most because I was not aware that this was such a big problem in America. I think it is interesting that these drugs help professionals to accomplish goals, and meet deadlines. This could cause advancements in research, but the problems associated with legalizing the use of these cognitive enhancement drugs are so complicated, that it may not be worth the risk. The next thing I could take away from the course is the comparison of legal substances such as coffee or caffeine, to drugs. The effects of caffeine and coffee can be quite harmful if an individual overindulges in these substances. I knew energy drinks such as Red Bull and Monster energy drinks were unhealthy in large forms, but did not know they even compared to drugs. The third take away from the course about drugs are the different drug taking behaviors, and society’s glamorization of drugs. Society can sometimes have a negative or positive effect on social problems, such as drugs and alcohol. Since earlier times, the media have glamorized smoking, drinking alcohol, and doing drugs. The large portion in which the media influences these behaviors and activities are very surprising.

Sharing ideas in PSYC 324 was particularly interesting because everyone has different ideas and perspectives on drugs, and society. Some individuals have had dealings with alcohol or drug abuse within their own lives. This can be a classmate, or someone close to a classmate. The different experiences with substance abuse, geographical locations, and policies in place in each state concerning drugs are very interesting. Being in a smaller city I do not see as many addicts, but I get a closer view of drugs, and the effect they have on small towns. It is interesting to work with people from all walks of life who can share ideas, opinions, and experiences with drug and alcohol abuse.

If I could pick just one thing that the world would be well-served to better understand about addiction it would be education on substance abuse. I chose this because America lacks education regarding substance use. Some of the things I learned in this class I never knew previously. The text was well written, and easy to understand. It provided very useful information about various drugs. I think America lacks the “truth” commercials, and a variety of community services offered to those who struggle with addiction. In my local community there are plenty of drug addicts, but few resources available for them to receive the help they need. The treatment facilities are so expensive that people cannot afford to get the adequate care to treat or deal with their drug abuse problems.

2.

Greetings classmates! This course was an eye opener and amazing! The first thing that helped me with the course were our classmates. They all came from different parts of the world with different perceptions and were willing to share them with me and our other classmates. The second thing that helped me was how our instructor was always available and gave us helpful tips in both the messages and weekly forums. The third thing that helped was how our textbook is written and laid out. It made looking for certain topics easier when it came to us having to write about it during the forums or during the quizzes. The most meaningful experience I had in this course was during week one. I love that week in every online class I take because we all get to know one another. Meeting new people is something I enjoy doing and I look forward to week one of my next two classes which are starting January 1 (BTW, Happy New Year’s to all!). The second would be during our week 6 forum where we had consider what we would talk about to the three young individuals. Me, I will be straight forward with them on all things and keep communications open. Keeping an open communication regardless of the age of the other or the topic is very important to me. Some may think I over communicate (no one has told me that to my face yet) but I believe in letting others know what’s going on. The third is the talk of alcohol and if it’s a disease or not. It is a topic that is most commonly talked about. It ran in my ex-husband’s family and has shown its nasty face in my dad’s family. As to if anyone was actually diagnosed, I do not know. If I could pick just one thing that the world would be well-served to better understand about addiction it would be what single “magic pill” would solve all of the addiction problems we have in the world. I chose this because addiction is about more than what we covered in class (substances). People can be addicted to gambling, television, work, exercise, and more. Addictions can threaten the relationships between family members, friends, professional acquaintances and more. I do understand there is no such thing but, in reality, there kind of is… I think personal will power has a strong hold on if the addiction can be broken or not. As for my question to the class, what is the one thing that stood out the most during the past many weeks of class? It could be something you mentioned during this week’s forum or something you experienced since day one of this class either outside of the classroom or inside. You decide and share…please. Marie

Schneider, M. (2014). Introduction to Public Health (4th Ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

3.

Greetings Professor and Fellow Classmates, Merry Christmas and To all a healthy Happy New Year’s!!!! Classmates we made it. The race is not given to the Swift nor the battle to the strong but whom so ever endureth until the end!! We made it. Together we made it. It has been eight weeks of sharing, learning ,writing, typing and sacrifice. Thank you, Professor for all that you do . Substance Abuse for many hits home or family, co workers or friends or just the community you live in or drive through. It is one of the hardest areas for some to deal with and overcome. With patience , compassion, endurance, a strong will on everyone’s part, understanding and some times tough love they will overcome. My three takes aways from this course that will serve me in my personal and professional life and that stood out to me was one inhalant drugs. I never knew this was as big of a concern with so little education and media attention. I’m shocked that more isn’t being said and done to reach these young impressionable minds. The dangers are tremendous to mention the least. The availability is mind blowing because these inhalants are right in the home. The culture, economic background and age groups involved are even more reasons why this information needs to be public knowledge. I will make it my business to pay more attention to the youth around me. Another take away is the statistical knowlegde of what drugs are costing society. I never knew just how much money goes into hospital room visits, detox and treatment programs, liver transplants, media advertisements.etc. Lastly another take away for me is the amount of people addicted, relapsing and beginning to use addictive substances are far beyond what I could have ever anticipated. These above mentioned take aways will help me in my professional life because I know what to look forward to in my future work. I know what I’m up against. It’s not going to be easy. With patience and compassion and a willingness on the part of each person on the treatment team, we will work hard to help individuals get help and stay sober. I really enjoyed all of our discussion weeks. I think I enjoyed the one most where I had to talk to the high school student, the pre-teen and the college student concerning performance enhancing drugs. It was preparation for me in what I’ll be doing in the near future. I enjoyed sharing and receiving different perspectives, thoughts, feelings and concerns with a topic that affects everyone. Substance Abuse is not just a problem for the addict. It hurts my eyes, and heart to go into the supermarket and before I get out of my car someone is asking for money. I know when I look at them what they are going to do with it. When I offer to go in the supermarket and purchase the food for them, they refuse because it’s really the cash they want. The thought of what they may have to endure to support their habit is heartbreaking. There health or lack of healthcare is a concern for me. I see drug addiction daily in the community at work with the elderly, it’s been a part of my family from before I was born. If there is one thing I feel the world would be well served to better understand about addiction would be patience, compassion and understanding is required on the part of everyone for recovery to be successful. I chose this because the addict requires patience with themselves, the staff and the time it takes to go through the detox, and recovery process. The staff, family and love ones require patience, compassion and understanding. There for the grace of God I to. Meaning it could very well be you or I or it has at one time been, what would we have someone to say to us, how would we want someone to treat us? It can happen to anyone at any given time. Some addicts once had very enriching lives, they are our doctors, nurses, judges, lawyers, engineers, professors, students, our children, husband’s and wives. The face of addiction was never just the poor and celebrities. We’ve learned some of the experimentation began with our presidents, theorist, great philosphers. Sigmund Freud himself was addicted to cigar smoking which costs him his life and he experimented with cocaine. We must never judge the path a person is currently on but instead show compassion, patience and caring. It may be you or I whom God uses to help one or many of these very same individuals. Thank you for sharing this learning experience with me. I’ve enjoyed this time we had together. Professor and Fellow Classmates Have a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!! Signing off, Adele

** Please don’t just rephrase their info, but respond to it. Remember to answer question at the end if there is one. **

3

What Students Are Saying About Us

.......... Customer ID: 12*** | Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Honestly, I was afraid to send my paper to you, but you proved you are a trustworthy service. My essay was done in less than a day, and I received a brilliant piece. I didn’t even believe it was my essay at first 🙂 Great job, thank you!"

.......... Customer ID: 11***| Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"This company is the best there is. They saved me so many times, I cannot even keep count. Now I recommend it to all my friends, and none of them have complained about it. The writers here are excellent."

"Order a custom Paper on Similar Assignment at essayfount.com! No Plagiarism! Enjoy 20% Discount!"