To do: Read chapter 17 to the conclusion chapter from “America Anonymous” and di

To do: Read chapter 17 to the conclusion chapter from “America Anonymous” and discuss with your classmates anything that you read in these chapters. For example: what did you find interesting or controversial? what did you agree or disagree with and why? what did you learn? what questions are raised? what does the research tell us about what you read in these chapters?
To do: Respond to this student’s post:
Hello Classmates,
This is my response to the question in Forum 3
It was interesting to see how a natural disaster as Hurricane Katrina could accomplish such an impossible feat of making New Orleans a drug-free zone. The prevalence of drug use pre-Katrina ranged from 82% then went down to 18%. (Kessler, 2016) However, many people such as Sean, who was in treatment, were displaced or homeless, and many hospitalization rates for substance abusers increased ER visits. (Moise, Ruiz, 2016) Sean has struggled with many relapses with his addiction and although the DSM-5 decided not to include sex addiction in its fifth edition, many felt this was controversial. Many argued that, although it did not meet sufficient diagnostic criteria and pathology, sexual addiction can have dangerous ramifications, proponents of its inclusion argue that without a formal catagorization system, people may not seek the help they need .Many fear without proper catagorization of this disorder, that insurance companies will not pay benefits for treatment. While both sides make an argument, the connection between mental health and this addiction is that 88% of those addicted to sex have key mental illnesses that play a role. (Karila, 2014) Many believers in a sex addiction diagnosis point out that for many years, doctors and psychiatrists similarly dismissed alcoholism, refused to accept that it was a serious problem in itself. (Denizet-Lewis, 2009) Most believers in sex addiction diagnosis believe the same about compulsive sexuality, that it can become a life-threatening, primary illness and that in the future, large-scale studies of sex addicts, including brain scans, will prove that sex addiction is real (ibid, 2009)
According to the late James Frey, author of A Million Little Pieces, who claimed that addiction is not a destructive medical conditon or disease, and believed that it does no good to accept anything other than yourself for your own weaknesses, and root causes. (Frey, 2006) An addict himself, I disagreed with him when he lied about his recovery and the 12-step program with fabrication and exageration of his stories and book. This memoir , once included in Oprah WInfreys book club was exposed, and went against what true recovery is about, honesty for the millions of Americans working on recovery in the 12-Step program, With regard to the 12-step program, studies have shown a strong relationship between self-efficacy beliefs and drinking/drug use outcomes, following a variety of treatments. As noted by Bandura, people who have both the necessary skills and strong coping mechanisms are likely to mobilize the effort needed to succcessfully resist situations of drinking or drug use. (Bandura, A., Locke, E.A., 2003)
According to Matthew Torrington, an addiction doctor, believes that we can eventually eradicate addiction-I disagree with him, as addiction cannot be cured, but treated like a chronic condition such as diabetes or heart disease. Addiction is a life-long struggle, and a person must learn how to manage their disease and realize risk of relapse is ever present. Dr. Walter Ling, author of Mastering the Addicted Brain believes we wil make tremendous progress to treat addiction, however never eradicate it due to the nature of its complications. (Ibid, 2009)
The first step in any 12-Step recovery program requires a person to admit that they are powerless. Admitting one is powerless is a fundamental component of healing. I learned that by admitting powerlessness encourages acceptance and the first step towards the journey from addiction. Although the concept of powerlessness can often be hard to grasp, it does not show a sign of weakness or helplessness. All the addicts in this book have suffered their share of abuse and trauma, and although many have suffered their share of pain and challenges, they all share the tenous desire and hope to have life that is worth living. Like the poem Janice read from Portia Nelson, it speaks of walking down a street with a deep hole, and continuously falling in, until you realize you can walk around it. Like addiction, Looking beyond the chaos of addictive behavior, is only through self-awareness and responsiblity and help that one can choose to not fall in the hole that they can walk around.
References
Bandura, A., Locke, E.A., (2003) Negative Self-Efficacy and goals Journal of Applied Psychology Prentic Hall, Englewood Cliffs
Denizet-Lewis, Benoit (2009) America Anonymous: Eight Addicts in search of a Life Simon and Schuster New York
Karila, L., (2014) Sexual Additon or hypersexual disorder? Natonal Library of Medicine
Moise, I.M., PhD, MPH, Ruiz, M.O. PhD (2016) Hospitalizations for Substance Abuse Disorders before and after Katrina http://dx.doi.org/10.588/pcd13.160107
**You do not have to read all of those chapters. Just skim 1-2 chapters and write something about it and then respond to that student’s post. Here is the link to the book: https://books.google.com/books?id=Pv_MpYms5kYC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
Please cite one research article. I am a health education major and this is a black board discussion post so you don’t have to go crazy. Deadline:
Posted first message: 11:59pm on March 28