Drugs, Culture & Society Spring 2014 832:350:90 On-Line/E-College Alexandra Lopez, MA, LCADC, SAC, DRCC, CPS, CCS, ICCS Email: alexopez@rci.rutgers.edu January 21, 2014- May 5, 2014 Course Overview This course is designed to explore the disease of addiction. Students will examine historical, societal, psychological, behavioral and familial perspectives of substance use and abuse. Social and global concerns in regards to the sensationalization of this widespread and deadly epidemic will be discussed with a special focus on current trends and process addictions. Topics of review and exploration will also include culture and chemical use, pharmacology and physiology of mood altering substances, historical and current treatment options, and the journey through relapse and recovery. Trending subject matter will include the sensationalization of drugs and addiction by the media and health care reform and its impact on addiction and mental health treatment and on- going recovery. The on- line section of this course will be conducted and managed using a weekly syllabus which will indicate weekly goals and expectations set forth by the instructor. Students will be expected to keep up weekly assigned readings, the viewing of on-line video links, television series viewing, suggested films, on- line weekly journaling and threaded discussions. ****Please note that the syllabus is subject to change : Any changes will be posted in the announcements section on E college with time for review and submission. Course Texts Sheff, N. (2008). Tweak: Growing up on methamphetamines. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. Sheff, D. (2008). beautiful boy. A fathers journey through his sons addiction. New York: Mariner Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. COURSE OBJECTIVES include, but are not limited to, the following 1. Students will identify and describe the history of drugs from a historical perspective. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the social progression from moral disposition to todays understanding of addiction as a disease of the brain. 2. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the concept of worldview and culture and its impact on social and political stigma related to addiction. 3. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the disease concept and etiology of addictions and addictive behaviors to include the impact of co-occurring substance use disorders on medical and psychological disorders and the potential for substance use disorders to mimic and coexist with medical and psychological disorders. 4. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the physiology and pharmacology of substances of abuse including new trends and substances. Drugs, Culture & Society 832:350:90 Spring 2014 On Line Alexandra Lopez, MA, LCADC, DRCC, SAC, ICCS, CPS, CCS Page 1 of 14 5. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the importance of family, social networks, and community systems in the treatment of substance use disorders. 6. Students will demonstrate knowledge of process addictions including but not limited to eating disorders, gambling, shopping, hoarding, sex, gaming and technology and the prevalence of these conditions in our society. 7. Students will demonstrate an understating of the global impact of addiction including social, political and financial concerns in our society and abroad. 8. Students will demonstrate the ability to assess an individual’s stage of dependence, change, or recovery based on an holistic interpretation of the disease. 9. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the alternative uses, including medicinal, philosophical and cultural practices in various cultures. Course Policies Confidentiality: Due to the focus and nature of this course, students may share their personal experiences in either journal format or in on line discussions. This information is private and should not be repeated or duplicated for personal use, gain or recreation. Our academic environment is designed for learning, so remember to keep an open mind. Every assignment is due on the specified date listed in the syllabus and on E college. No late assignments will be accepted. Students must comply with all university standards on academic conduct (see attached Statement of Academic Integrity). Written assignments must be submitted using 12- point font and typed double-spaced. Papers are expected to be edited prior to submission. Points will be deducted if a student fails to edit a submission. All papers must be submitted as word document attachments/ no in line attachments will be accepted. On Line Course Expectations Grading for this course will be based upon weekly course expectations delineated in the syllabus and available on E-College. Students are expected to maintain and monitor personal academic course goals in order to achieve instructor expectations. Class assignments, readings etc. will be listed on the syllabus and the E college schedule by week and unit. A week refers to the scheduled class week running Monday- Friday. The actual “class” week will end on the Friday of the scheduled week; however, journal entries are due no later than the Sunday evening (midnight) prior to the beginning of the next scheduled “class” week. There will be One Final Paper/Exam for this course. You will be expected to read two books, beautiful boy and TWEAK. Beautiful Boy MUST be read first! You will be expected to journal and submit weekly entries on specific themes and topics outlined in this syllabus and on E college. There will be a number of on- line video links & articles that you will be expected to keep up with during the semester. All on- line video links are mandatory! Also, all television series are mandatory. “Intervention” and “Hoarding” are shows that can be found on Drugs, Culture & Society 832:350:90 Spring 2014 On Line Alexandra Lopez, MA, LCADC, DRCC, SAC, ICCS, CPS, CCS Page 2 of 14 regularly scheduled cable channels as well as on-on line feeds. You will be expected to watch these shows during certain weeks of the semester listed below and on e college. Most movies listed are suggested; but please note that they are highly recommended! The HBO Film “Thin” is not a suggested film. This documentary must be viewed and is listed as an assignment. The Russell Brand film is also mandatory. _________________________________________________________________________ Assignments & Weekly Goals/ Percentage of Final Grade 1. “Title Themes” of Addiction for Weekly Journal Assignments 50% All journal entries, assignments and readings are to be completed and submitted by the Sunday (midnight) prior to the next scheduled syllabus week. You will be graded on content, not just submission. Please note that although the entry is due by the Sunday prior to the beginning of the next week, you should not wait until the last minute to submit these journals. I give you ample time to complete these assignments throughout the scheduled class week, so asking for extensions because of work or other unrelated interruptions on Sundays is unacceptable! Submissions should be titled Last Name First Initial Journal week #.doc The following themes are the themes that will be accepted and expected as the “Title Themes” of your weekly entries. You must choose from this list. You cannot duplicate “Title Themes” from one week to another; however, you can write about more than one theme in your entries and you can reflect more than once on a theme as you see fit throughout the semester. On Line Weekly Journal: “Title Themes” of Addiction: You do not have to use them together – this is only suggested! Denial/Loss of Control Shame/Guilt Grandiosity/Manipulation Anger/Resentment/Loss Hopelessness/Despair Blame/Regret Honesty/Truth Forgiveness/Letting Go Love/Spirituality For full credit on journals (10 points) you must: Choose one or two themes and discuss it based on readings. You will be expected to mention/reflect upon your reading of the texts “beautiful boy” (1st half of the semester) and Tweak, (2nd half of the semester). You must reference and interpret a minimum of 4 weekly additional readings in your weekly journals. Mention of the article is not enough. Lectures found in the Units on E-college should also be referenced. If you reference an article- you must place it in bold. If you do not use additional articles, you will not be given full credit !!! Remember 4 is a minimum. You must include your opinion on the topic of discussion as well. Drugs, Culture & Society 832:350:90 Spring 2014 On Line Alexandra Lopez, MA, LCADC, DRCC, SAC, ICCS, CPS, CCS Page 3 of 14 Each entry should be an average of 1.5 page equivalent (word doc). Shorter entries will be cause for a deduction in points. They should be single spaced. Entries must be submitted via the e-college dropbox tab – not the journal tab. **Specific due dates for all journal entries and other assignments are posted on e-College!!!! Journal Grading: Journal entries are graded 1-10: 10 is perfect 9 is excellent 8 is good Anything below and 8 needs improvement: Comments will be included for you each week A sample “10” is included for you on line You must wait until the end of the week to post – in case there are additional questions or a changes to the expected discussion ! Your journals will focus on: Reading: Texts “beautiful boy” & “TWEAK” David Sheff’s book “beautiful boy” is the true story of Nic’s Sheff’s father, David and his struggle with his son’s addiction. This book will walk you through the many complex feelings and experiences of a family who is devastated by addiction- This book is very different than Nic Sheffs book – TWEAK: In TWEAK you are thrown into Nic’s real and raw account of addiction – one day at a time. His addiction to methamphetamines, amongst other drugs and a multitude of other issues/concerns and diagnosis that surface throughout his life, will allow you to walk through, first hand, the life of an addict. Be warned, that as with any true story of addiction, THIS BOOK IS VERY GRAPHIC in nature! His story is told from the perspective of a daily journal. 3. Threaded Discussions: Class Participation 10% You will be expected to participate in all weekly threaded discussions. One entry each week, based on the assigned question is expected to be completed by each student by the Friday night of that week. Discussion threads/questions will be included in the weekly unit on e college. The response should be meaningful and serve a purpose! You must wait until the end of the week to post – in case there are additional questions or a change in the weeks progress! The post may not be open until Wednesday of the week they are due. 4. Final Paper and Exam Grade: 40% Your final paper will be a written formal discussion on the Disease of Addiction as you have learned to interpret the concept. You should use personal opinion as well as examples from readings and other resources throughout the semester. The paper should be no longer than 6 pages in length, 12 point font- double spaced. Please EDIT all papers for spelling and grammar prior to submission. Points will be deducted for unedited papers. Please refer to readings and lectures throughout the paper. There is a minimum of 5 references that must be used in this paper. This minimum does not Drugs, Culture & Society 832:350:90 Spring 2014 On Line Alexandra Lopez, MA, LCADC, DRCC, SAC, ICCS, CPS, CCS Page 4 of 14 include beautiful boy or tweak.. This paper, although still in need of your opinion, should be more formal in structure and should be substantiated with solid references to readings and lectures. Include in the discussion: Myths and Social Implications of Addiction Discussion on your understanding of the Disease Model of Addiction as it relates to David & Nic (include codependency and addiction as a Family Disease) Define Process Addictions and How You connected them to the "Addiction" to substances... Explain Why recovery is a lifelong process Options/Alternatives in treating addiction- including the need for sensitivity in assessment of co-occurring disorders. Spirituality and Addiction: as you understand it... Where do you see Nic going from here and why? Your Personal Journey: How has your worldview changed or stayed the same this semester? How will you incorporate what you have learned into your own future either personally or professionally? Commonly Asked Questions about the Final Paper/ Exam … You can use first person in this paper. You do not have to submit formal references - just be sure to be clear about what you are referencing in the paper itself- full names of articles, movies, lectures. Do not say things like ... "in that article we read about the disease of addiction... " :( The paper should be in full paragraph format. All papers will need to be submitted via the e college drop box as an word attachment. The paper should include your name, student ID, section number and my name in the header. No Late papers will be accepted All papers must be edited This semester… The instructor will have regular access to time (minutes) you have spent in each unit, per day, everyday that you are a student in this section of the course. This will also be a reflection on your grade. E College allows for the instructor to access daily reports of your total log in times. Comments, questions, feedback and general information on course material are encouraged throughout the semester. You are welcomed to e mail me at any time. There will be tab each week under each unit where you can post questions for me that I will answer weekly. Course Calendar/Weekly Expectations The following is a week by week schedule. This schedule may be subject to change. If there are changes, they will be announced on e college or via email. You must check your email often while in this course. You must use only the readings listed for the assigned week in your journals- do not skip around. Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom of the webliography page when you are looking for the weeks assigned readings. Drugs, Culture & Society 832:350:90 Spring 2014 On Line Alexandra Lopez, MA, LCADC, DRCC, SAC, ICCS, CPS, CCS Page 5 of 14 Help with the Syllabus: Expected Text Reading: This is your weekly assigned reading from the course Texts: We will begin the course with “beautiful boy” and end with “TWEAK”. Please feel free to read ahead, however I will warn you, that by doing so, you may want to write your journal entries as you read! If you do not, you will be ahead of the class and find limited “themes” to write about that make sense if you are at the end of the book vs. staying within the “conceptual” journey I will walk you through… this will make more sense as we move along. Topics to Be Introduced & Reviewed/Lectures: The topics and lectures will be found as Units on E- college. These are my lectures/writings on the subject matter. You should be sure to open each Unit inclusive of the Intro to the Unit (sometimes students miss this as they think it is a header – but it will have a lecture in it!) If there is no lecture… keep checking. I have a tendency to wait on some lectures because I do not want students to rush or read beyond where we are in the course outline. This will only be the case for my lectures. All articles, links are up and ready to go on the Webliography. Additional Readings & Video Links: All additional readings can be found in the webliography on E –College. Each reading is listed in the webliography with listed units/weeks. The webliography is your source for all course materials. Every article, video link, etc. can be found here. Threaded Discussions are mandatory but will not be posted until the end of the week to ensure that folks base their responses on the full weeks’ readings and lectures! The Only Threaded Discussion Question Posted on the Syllabus is the first one… “Check- in and tell us about yourself…” Listed under week 1! You have access to the course PowerPoint /Overview of the semester topics. This is listed in the webliography as “The Disease of Addiction/ppt.” It is recommended that you review the functions of E- college prior to beginning the course and that you take a tutorial available on line at https://ecollege.rutgers.edu/index2.jsp Week 1: 1/21-1/24, 2014 Course Overview Expected Text Reading: beautiful boy: 1-65 Topics to Be Introduced & Reviewed/Lectures: Introduction of Instructor Review of Syllabus: Questions & Explanations READ THE SYLLABUS… REVIEW THE FUNCTIONS OF E COLLEGE AND TAKE A TUTORIAL! Drugs, Culture & Society 832:350:90 Spring 2014 On Line Alexandra Lopez, MA, LCADC, DRCC, SAC, ICCS, CPS, CCS Page 6 of 14 Threaded Discussion: Check in via Threaded Discussion with class: “Check in and tell us about yourself…” First discussion is due before midnight on January 24th, 2014 Introduce yourself, your name, year and what you hope to get out of the course Additional Readings & Video Links: Listed on E college/webliography Weekly Journal Entry: None Week 2: 1/27-1/31, 2014 Addiction Defined Expected Text Reading: beautiful boy: 1-65 (same as last week) Topics to Be Introduced & Reviewed/Lectures: Addiction Defined: The History of Addiction & the Disease Model Common Myths About Addiction Personal Bias: Your Worldview Introduction of common themes in the disease of addiction (Note: Also listed in syllabus above) Threaded Discussion: Due 1/31 before midnight Additional Readings & Video Links: Listed on E college/webliography Themes of Addiction Journal entry Week 2 “beautiful boy”: Due no later than Sunday 2/2/2014 before midnight Film: Russell Brand: Addiction (youtube) – link available in webliography Please include discussion of the film in your journal Week 3: 2/3-2/7, 2014 Addiction & the Brain Expected Text Reading: beautiful boy: 66-121 Topics to Be Introduced & Reviewed/Lectures Progression of the Disease: Stages of Change Physiology and Pharmacology of Addition: Beyond Willpower Threaded Discussion: On E college Due by 2/7 before midnight Additional Readings & Video Links: On E- college Webliography Drugs, Culture & Society 832:350:90 Spring 2014 On Line Alexandra Lopez, MA, LCADC, DRCC, SAC, ICCS, CPS, CCS Page 7 of 14 Themes of Addiction Journal Entry Week 3 “beautiful boy”: Due no later than Sunday 2/9/2014 Before midnight Week 4: 2/10-2/14, 2014 Pharmacology of Abuse Expected Text Reading: beautiful boy: 121-182 Topics to Be Introduced & Reviewed/Lectures Review of Substances of Abuse: NIDA & SAMHSA When Someone is Addicted? Addiction as a Diagnosis Chasing the Dragon Denial… The Disease Progresses Threaded Discussion: On E College Due by 2/14 before midnight Additional Readings & Video Links: Listed on E college/webliography Themes of Addiction Journal Entry Week 4 “beautiful boy”: Due No later than Sunday 2/16, 2014 before midnight. Week 5: 2/17-2/21, 2014 Addiction & the Family: Beyond the Addicted Self Expected Text Reading: beautiful boy: 183-250 Topics to Be Introduced & Reviewed/Lectures The Impact of Addiction on the Family/A Family Systems Disease Children of Alcoholics and Addicts: The Elephant in the Living Room Threaded Discussion: On E College Due no later than 2/21 before midnight Additional Readings & Video Links: Listed on E college/webliography Themes of Addiction Journal Entry Week 5 “beautiful boy”: Due No later than Sunday 2/23 before midnight. Suggested Film: “Rachel Getting Married”: Please include discussion of this film in your journal Week 6: 2/24-2/28, 2014 Drugs, Culture & Society 832:350:90 Spring 2014 On Line Alexandra Lopez, MA, LCADC, DRCC, SAC, ICCS, CPS, CCS Page 8 of 14 Addiction & the Family: Roles & Dynamics Expected Text Reading: beautiful boy: 251-317 Topics to Be Introduced & Reviewed/Lectures Addiction & Family Roles Codependency in Addiction Adolescents & Addiction Are We Products of our Environment? Threaded Discussion: On E College Due by 2/28 before midnight Additional Readings & Video Links: Themes of Addiction Journal Week 6 “beautiful boy” Final Entry: Due No later than Sunday 3/2/14 before midnight Additional Assignments: Watch Intervention on A& E “Intervention”- any new or archived episode will do. You should refer to the episode in this weeks journal. Week 7: 3/3- 3/7, 2014 Process Addictions: Beyond the Drug Expected Text Reading: TWEAK: 1-61 Topics to Be Introduced & Reviewed: Understanding and Defining Process Disorders Eating Disorders: Close to Home o Not Just About drugs… The Facebook Experiment Threaded Discussion: On E College Due no later than 3/7/14 before midnight Additional Readings & Video Links: Listed on E college/webliography THIN Themes of Addiction Journal Entry Week 7 “TWEAK”: Due No later than before midnight on 3/9/14 Additional Assignments: The FACEBOOK EXPERIMENT : Look on e college for more details Must be discussed in your journal Drugs, Culture & Society 832:350:90 Spring 2014 On Line Alexandra Lopez, MA, LCADC, DRCC, SAC, ICCS, CPS, CCS Page 9 of 14 Week 8: 3/10-3/14 Addiction A Global Disease Expected Text Reading: TWEAK: 62-130 Topics to Be Introduced & Reviewed/Lectures Meth Addiction: Nic’s Sheff & the History of Methamphetamines in the US Health Care & Addiction: Costs to Society Global Epidemic… How do we stop what started at home? In America? Threaded Discussion: On E College Due by 3/14 before midnight Additional Readings & Video Links: Listed on E college/webliography Themes of Addiction Journal Entry Week 8 “TWEAK”: No Journal this week … Enjoy Spring Break ! Spring Break: Week 9: 3/15-3/23, 2014 Enjoy! No Assignments Week 10: 3/24-3/28, 2014 The Addicted Self Expected Text Reading: TWEAK: 131-194 Topics to Be Introduced & Reviewed/Lectures Hitting Rock Bottom o I Am You Disease Spirituality & Addiction Understanding Co-Occurring Disorders Threaded Discussion: Listed on E College Due by 3/28 before midnight Additional Readings & Video Links: Listed on E college/webliography Themes of Addiction Journal Week 10 “TWEAK”: Due No later than 3/30 before midnight Suggested Film: Drugs, Culture & Society 832:350:90 Spring 2014 On Line Alexandra Lopez, MA, LCADC, DRCC, SAC, ICCS, CPS, CCS Page 10 of 14 “Things We Lost in the Fire” Week 11: 3/31-4/4, 2014 Treatment & Recovery Expected Text Reading: TWEAK: 195-263 Topics to Be Introduced & Reviewed/Lectures Understanding Treatment Options: No One Fit for All Patients o Levels of Care Relapse as a part of Recovery Introduction to Mutual Self Help o Support in Recovery o Family in Recovery Threaded Discussion: On E College Due by 4/4 before midnight Additional Readings & Video Links: Listed on E college/webliography Themes of Addiction Journal Entry Week 11 “TWEAK”: Due No Later than 4/6 before midnight Additional Assignments: Please watch “Hoarders” This week on A& E: A new or archived episode will be fine. Please discuss Hoarders in this weeks’ journal entry. Week 12: 4/7-4/11, 2014 Addiction & Society: Myths, Stigma & Social Denial Expected Text Reading: TWEAK: 264-319 Topics to Be Introduced & Reviewed/Lectures: The Stigma of Addiction and Mental Health Personal Bias: Worldview Shift? The Media and Addiction Threaded Discussion: On E College Due by 4/11 Additional Readings & Video Links: Listed on E college/webliography Themes of Addiction Journal Entry Week 11 “TWEAK”: Due No later than 4/13 before midnight Suggested Film: Drugs, Culture & Society 832:350:90 Spring 2014 On Line Alexandra Lopez, MA, LCADC, DRCC, SAC, ICCS, CPS, CCS Page 11 of 14 HBO Documentary: “Something’s Wrong With Aunt Diane” . If you are able to watch this film, please include it in your journal this week. Week 13: 4/14-4/18, 2014 Introduction to the Science of Prevention Expected Text Reading: TWEAK: Epilogue (end) Threaded Discussion: On E college Due by 4/18 no later than midnight Additional Readings & Video Links: On E- college Themes of Addiction Journal Entry Week 13: Due no later than 4/20/14 Week 14: 4/21-4/25/14 Substance Abuse and the Law Expected Text Reading: None Threaded Discussion: On E –college: Due no later than midnight 4/25 Additional Readings & Video Links: Any additional readings will be posted on E College, however, you should take this opportunity to read any and all articles you have not read thus far. Themes of Addiction Journal Entry: Final Journal Due 4/27 Week 15: 4/28-5/5/2014 (extended) End of Semester Current Trends in Addiction Final Paper due May 2, 2014 Topics to Be Introduced & Reviewed/Lectures: Prescription Drug Abuse: A National Epidemic Medical Marijuana Substance Abuse & the Law Illegal Drug Trafficking Expected Text Reading: None Final Threaded Discussion Due: May 4, 2014 before midnight Themes of Addiction Journal Entry: None Drugs, Culture & Society 832:350:90 Spring 2014 On Line Alexandra Lopez, MA, LCADC, DRCC, SAC, ICCS, CPS, CCS Page 12 of 14 Additional Course Resources and Links to Resources: You are expected to visit each of these websites and “surf” the site to get to know the available resources! National Institute on Drug Abuse: http://www.nida.nih.gov/nidahome.html National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/Pages/default.aspx Mental Health America: http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: http://www.samhsa.gov/ SAMHSA’s Center for Co-Occurring Excellence: http://coce.samhsa.gov/ Office Hours: Office hours available by appointment. Appointments can be arranged via e mail alexopez@rci.rutgers.edu. I will be available via e mail at all times throughout the semester. Please be advised that all grades are strictly based upon the course average/grades that are posted weekly throughout the semester on e college: Please be sure to review your average regularly. If you do not submit an assignment you will get a 0 – which will automatically be averaged you're your grade!!! Course Grading Policy: Letter % Range A B+ B C+ C D F 90-100 % 85-89.99 % 80-84.99 % 75-79.99 % 70-74.99 % 60-69.99 % <60% Academic Integrity Academic integrity is essential to the success of the educational enterprise and breaches of academic integrity constitute serious offenses against the academic community. Every member of that community bears a responsibility for ensuring that the highest standards of academic integrity are upheld. Only through a genuine partnership among students, faculty, staff, and administrators will the University be able to maintain the necessary commitment to academic integrity. The University administration is responsible for making academic integrity an institutional priority and for providing students and faculty with effective educational programs and support services to help them fully understand and address issues of academic integrity. The administration is also responsible for working with other members of the academic community to establish equitable and effective procedures to deal with violations of academic integrity. Drugs, Culture & Society 832:350:90 Spring 2014 On Line Alexandra Lopez, MA, LCADC, DRCC, SAC, ICCS, CPS, CCS Page 13 of 14 The faculty shares the responsibility for educating students about the importance and principles of academic integrity. Individual faculty members are also responsible for informing students of the particular expectations regarding academic integrity within individual courses, including permissible limits of student collaboration and, where relevant, acceptable citation format. Finally, all members of the faculty should report all violations of academic integrity they encounter. Students are responsible for understanding the principles of academic integrity fully and abiding by them in all their work at the University. Students are also encouraged to report alleged violations of academic integrity to the faculty member teaching the course in which the violation is alleged to have occurred. All members of our community must be confident that each person's work has been responsibly and honorably acquired, developed, and presented. Any effort to gain advantage not given to all students is dishonest, whether or not the effort is successful. A violation of academic honesty is a breach of trust, and will result in penalties, including possible suspension or expulsion. When in doubt about plagiarism, paraphrasing, quoting, or collaboration, consult the course instructors. For additional information, go to: http://academicintegrity.rutgers.edu/students.shtml Drugs, Culture & Society 832:350:90 Spring 2014 On Line Alexandra Lopez, MA, LCADC, DRCC, SAC, ICCS, CPS, CCS Page 14 of 14