08 Oct Abstaining from a Substance or Behavior and Advocating for Social Change in the Field of Addictions Counseling

Abstaining from a Substance or Behavior and Advocating for Social Change in the Field of Addictions Counseling

 

After weeks of what may have been success and struggles, it is time to discuss your abstinence experience and change process. Not only does this exercise help you to better understand and empathize with your clients, but it also serves as a reminder that change is hard! The work you have done over the past several weeks not only gives a glimpse of an addiction/recovery experience, but hopefully presents insights that will be beneficial in your work with future clients. Throughout this experience you may have challenged biases, stigma, or encountered challenges in the field of addictions work. Consider an issue or a challenge for which you could advocate for a positive social change. 

 

To prepare for this Discussion:

 

•             Consider the thoughts and feelings you had during the exercise, as well as the influences of family and culture on your experience.

 

o             Were your systems of influence supportive of your efforts, unhelpful, or were they critical?

 

o             What role did this have on your success or failure?

 

o             How did you feel about yourself during this exercise? And did that change or fluctuate?

 

•             Review your Week 1 Discussion post. (please see my week one discussion post under here)

 

•             Identify two strengths you bring to addictions counseling and how you gained those strengths.

 

1)    Identifying issues

 

2)    create goals and treatment plans

 

I have learned these two strengths by working close with Mental Health Professionals and identifying issues is something I just picked up on throughout life.

 

 •            Identify one area where you might struggle in the field of addictions counseling (examples might be personal experiences, bias, lack of education, etc.), and why this area might be a challenge for you.

 

I think one of my struggles would be lack of personal experience and empathy. I think some situations I may find it hard to empathize and effectively counsil if I can reate or understand to relate

 

 •            Does your state/country have certification or licensure for addictions counseling? Provide the website if so.

 

https://www.publichealthonline.org/addiction/ohio-substance-abuse-counselor/

 

 https://ocdp.ohio.gov/

 

  •           Share whether addictions counseling is a field you would consider for your counseling career, and explain why or why not.

 

 I wouldn’t mind addiction counseling to help others with addictions and to find a way of life. I like helping people in general.

 

 I might mind it slightly for not being able to understand some of the challenges one may face but I will try my hardest to be a great Counselor.

 

•             Consider what biases you have challenged and where you stand on those issues currently.

 

•             Reflect on your answer to these questions as you prepare your response to the Discussion prompt.

 

Post the following:

 

•             A summary of your experience with abstinence, including its effects (positive and negative) on those you live with or those closest to you (family, friends, etc.). Include your overall progress, such as successes, relapse(s), or even failure to abstain.(My abstinence was giving up CARBS and CAFFEIN)

 

o             Explain how internal influences such as individual traits, age, gender, and personality, affected your overall experience.

 

o             Explain how external influences such as family, culture, and other considerations affected your overall progress.

 

•             How might this experience apply to working with clients with addictive disorders, or with clients who are affected, directly or indirectly, by addictive disorders?

 

•             What has changed in terms of your perspectives of addiction from Week 1 to Week 10? Consider etiology, addiction as a choice, your abstinence experience assignment, and any personal biases in your response.

 

•             Regardless of whether you intend to go into the field of addictions counseling, what do you think is the most important issue you could advocate for to affect positive social change in this field?

 

•             What is your biggest takeaway from this course?

 

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.

 

These are Referenes from the Learning to use

 

https://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=132844929&site=ehost-live&scope=site

 

Capuzzi, D., & Stauffer, M. D. (2020). Foundations of addictionscounseling (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

 

•             Chapter 14, “Substance Addiction and Families”

 

Choose one of the following as they apply to your discussion:

 

•             Chapter 17, “Cross-Cultural Counseling: Engaging Ethnic Diversity”

 

•             Chapter 18, “Gender, Sex, and Addictions” (pp. 386–405)

 

•             Chapter 19, “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Affirmative Addictions Treatment”

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