Soc 3932 Week 1 Reflection

Week four of MA105 has arrived. As I reflect on the past weeks of this class I can say that it has been a little challenging. The topics covered have been what I expected. This is partly due to the fact that I looked ahead in the Math Center to see what subjects will be taught before the class began. I also have a memory of the formulas from when I was in high school. However, that memory has not translated to fluency yet.

I did not wish to interrupt the natural flow of the meeting with my presence. However, that is exactly what occurred highlighting to me a duality in why AA can be both helpful and harmful depending ton the individual. One member spoke during the open testimony about his desire to only attend meetings with people that have 20 plus years of sobriety because he finds a newcomer to be distrustful to his experience in the group. During his five-minute monologue, it became clear to myself and other group members that he did not appreciate me observing his meeting. As other members spoke after him, he became increasingly agitated in his movements. When the group paused to collect the donations, he left the meeting and did not return. That experience highlighted the negative aspects of AA because the open honesty could be damaging or discouraging to newcomers. I tried to imagine myself a newcomer to AA, seeking treatment for something that I may not fully understand myself. After hearing his dismissal of newcomers and everyone under 20 years sobriety that feeling of “otherness” in a newcomer could push them to not return. Therefore eliminating the AA support for

The 12-Step program addresses the factors or causes that are responsible for, or related to, substance abuse by helping individuals to understand the concept of change. “Processes of change are the covert and overt activities that people engage in to alter affect, thinking,

I feel the 12-Step program is successful because others who can empathize, offer advice, and understand exactly what the other is going through are there for support and encouragement. By the time you decide to enter the meeting you are usually self-aware that there is a problem and you want to help yourself; to me that can and will make all the difference in determining your success in the program. I really like that 12-Step Programs are faith based, I think believing in something bigger than yourself is crucial to the process. I also like that its catered to a lifestyle change overall, not just one singular change like to stop drinking but changing the way you live your

The participants were looking for help, which it created some confusing thoughts; I thought AA meetings were mandatory for all participants. It also made me realize with all the brief stories how alcohol is an enormous concern in our society, however our society has normalized those concern and convert the negative impact of alcohol into something positive. It drive me to think that 12 steps program work, and it should be part of a treatment. After, the meetings that I attended; I feel the 12-step program will work if professionals in the Human Services area introduce the program on a positive manner. It may be challenging because of the religious portion for some cases, however this may introduce the participant’s new ways to cope with the struggle of alcoholism. At the same time, the main benefits for the client will be abstinence and support. The abstinence is a continuous process and through the meetings clients will be able to keep the abstinence from alcohol or other drugs. Conclusively, there was an environment of hope in the meeting. During, the meeting one of the participants was a new member. He described how alcohol destroyed his family and he is trying to get his family back, however his wife does not want to come back with him and a divorce petition was completed. This particular participant found in the 12 step meeting comfort and support from his peers. Besides, the comfort the participant

The twelve step program is a therapy session, treatments are set up to meet the body, mind and spiritual needs of the patient, the idea is to rebuild a life, not just get someone off of drugs. The individuals could be put on the medications needed to keep the urge away from going back to their addiction.

Twelve-Step facilitative therapy, TSF, seeks to increase attendance and involvement with 12-Step mutual support groups. According to Wells, et. al (2014) research supports TSF therapies to increase attendance and active involvement in 12-Step programs (AA). The attendance appears to effect use outcomes, and have long-lasting effects In Project MATCH (Nowinski & Carroll, 1998) researched how effective 12-step facilitation groups, (TSF), were for alcohol abuse treatment compared to motivational enhancement therapy (MET) and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Kelly (2016), noted that TSF considers alcoholism to be both a spiritual and biological disease and treatment included that 12-step approach of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). The TSF goal

The meeting began with the discussion leader reading a passage from a book called Living Sober. The chapter was titled, “Be good to yourself.” After reading the passage, the discussion leader talked about his sobriety and offered some words of wisdom to the group as a whole. He then opened the floor for each person to say whatever he/she wants about his/her journey to recovery. The meeting then was passed from person to person. This part of the hour-long meeting went on for 45/50 minutes. Each person began their statement/story with “I’m __________, and I am an alcoholic.” The others then responded, “Hey/Hi ___________.” Some people talked about how they are several years sober. Others were obviously very new to the process. Most of the individuals

I could not imagine myself socializing with these people. I was hoping they did not think I am one of them. As the meeting is about to begin this tall guy was about to read out of this book. He began to say the purpose of the meeting is… that is when I spaced out. I was so lost in my thoughts all I can remember him saying,“ purpose of recovery from the disease of addiction.” I still could not believe that I was sitting in a room filled with strangers. He stated the third tradition, “ the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using.” I always put myself in my sister’s shoes; she has been attending NA meetings for 5 or 6 years now. I could not imagine what she felt like attending her first meeting. I believe I would feel cheated

Alcoholism is a pressing topic in the contemporary society and it is responsible for ruining the lives of numerous individuals from all over the world. Most people are likely to be acquainted with a person who abuses alcohol and this further contributes to emphasizing the magnitude of the problem. Alcoholics are typically inclined to ignore their problem and it is very difficult for them to accept it even when it interferes with their personal lives and makes it more and more difficult for them to perform tasks that they previously had very little problems completing. "Through treatment agencies, through the meetings and literature of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.), and through interactions with significant others and with persons who call themselves alcoholics, the problem drinker gradually takes on an alcoholic

Twelve step programs are commonly used in drug and alcohol treatment. Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous both utilize the twelve steps, along with many other treatment centers. The twelve steps are used as a tool to stay sober and overcome addictions to substance abuse. The first step involves admitting one is powerless over the drug. It also involves admitting that due to the drug, one is no longer in control of his or her life. The second step is coming to the belief that there is a greater power that can restore one to sanity. The greater power can be anything from God to a higher power such as nature. The third step is making the decision to turn one’s will and life over to the higher power. This is when an individual fully commits oneself to the belief in something greater than him or her self. The fourth step is a moral inventory of oneself. Many individuals make a list of all the wrongs he or she has done while in the fourth step. (Alcoholics Anonymous Publishing, 1981)

But, is it possible that the 12 Steps do more harm than good, and that those who join AA are simply prolonging their addiction? You may have naturally assumed that it is helpful to the person struggling with alcohol addiction to take part in a 12 Step program, as they are at least “admitting” that they have a problem, and taking action to

In his article "Why the Hostility Towards the 12-Steps " David Sack asserts that the misconceptions about 12-step programs prevents many people from recovering. Sack backs this claim up with the description of the seven most controversial misunderstanding of the program, and the truth about religion, powerlessness, meeting substitute dependence, cult, to many rules, idea the program does not work, and that it is for old men and loser. In order to help the reader to examine the misjudgments and the fundamentals of the 12-step programs, "by no means a perfect program"(par. 1), instead of prejudging them. Sack is writing to a new audience of Alcoholics who are looking for ways to recover from

This meeting was much more crowded and most of the people were much younger than the people at the AA meeting. Many of the people at this meeting did not share their story and were mainly there to listen. There was one man that did not share, but he stood out to me because he seemed to be experiencing tremors which were probably due to withdrawals. I had noticed there was a woman acting odd before and during the meeting. She seemed very upbeat and was jumping from one subject to the next. As we made the way around the room, the woman and her husband shared their story with us. The woman began to tear up showing signs of anxiety as her husband explained that he and his wife had been sober for 11 months, but earlier that day they had both used cocaine. The man described the ordeal stating that he thought he could “only do one line and be fine”, but hours later he had blown $1,000 worth of cocaine for he and his wife. He just happened to be in a place with an old friend who still used and he convinced himself that he could just do it one more time and control himself. The two were remorseful and were commended for admitting their actions as they stood up to receive their white tag which symbolizes the first day in the program after the admittance of

This week I learned a lot. For instance, I learned that nationalism is the pride or loyalty to one’s nation. Thinking about this I found some positives and negatives such as it is good to have loyalty to a nation and fight for it. However it is also important to not be oversensitive about what other countries say or think of yours. I also learned that religion is an important aspect of government policy. When creating laws it is important the law not go against one specific religion. Plus leaders must think about how many people are affected because of the law and whether their religion would be offended by it.