In this module, you will submit your critical self-reflection paper.
Effective work with addicted populations, whether it is clinical, policy, or research, requires an objective knowledge of one’s own values, attitudes, and personal understanding of addiction.
In this reflection paper, you will generate an essay exploring and describing your own position relative to these ideas concerning addiction. Use a narrative/descriptive writing style using the first-person perspective (first person including “I” and “my”).
Start by discussing how you learned what you knew about addiction before taking this course. Be specific in your description of learning experiences. This should be unique to you and personal. Comments should be individualistic and specific, evidencing full authenticity and sincerity. You should support your dialog with personal events and experiences. This work does not require citations or references to the professional literature.
Personal events and experiences: I worked at a treatment center for teenagers where substance abuse and mental health was a challenge for many.
Reflection Questions
Do you believe that psychoactive substance use disorder is a mental health diagnosis on par with bipolar disorder, major depression, schizophrenia, etc.? Why or why not?
The DSM states that one criteria for a substance use disorder is that the substance is taken in larger amounts or over a longer period of time than intended with the key idea being intention. The concept in play here is that intention, volition, and will are mentally compromised, and therefore insufficient to control the quantity and frequency of use. Do you believe this?
Expose a rationale for your belief one way or another or somewhere in between.
This paper is confidential to the professor and treated with clinical-like confidentiality. The professor will apply a very basic grading rubric, but more importantly, will provide verbal feedback to this paper in the form of an audio file attachment.
