This class revolved around understanding addiction by giving ups something I enjoyed while gaining insight through group therapy. At the beginning of this class, I became very resentful and frustrated when I learned that I must give-up something that I enjoyed. You see, I am in recovery and I work with my personal addiction issues on a daily basis and did not think this class was teaching me anything new. But, once I wrapped my mind around how I would accept this new challenge, my life became more interesting and I started to look at things a little differently. Because I suffered from addiction in the past, I was taught through twelve step programs that my addictive mind would substitute one addiction for another, but I did not realize how detrimental giving up even one of my “simple” decadences could be. While I struggled through my assignments without the crutch of my relinquished chosen vice, old behaviors and emotions started to rear their ugly heads; such as, irritability, resentment, over eating, and avoidance. This class reaffirmed for me that sobriety is a balance and when I upset normal routines, old messages will start messing with …show more content…
While I appreciated learning how to utilize “DOACLIENTMAP” to apply structure when working with a client, upon reviewing the full version of the DSM 5, it is obvious to me how much research and thought went into it. However, I consider it to be a textbook that helps professionals communicate with each other and should be used cautiously when working with a client. I discovered it has some cultural issues and biases when diagnosing individuals. The fact that it seems to pathologize normal human experiences such as bereavement concerns me, and I question why certain diagnoses such as gender dysphoria are