PHLH 16
Addiction Studies & Diagnostics Winter 2024

This is not the current course catalog

Class Details

On a December night in 1987, I went to my first AA meeting and it has stuck within and beside me for 36 years. I have (literally) traveled around the world due to abstinence and friendships in recovery communities. The goal of this class is for students to develop a personal understanding of the basics of addiction and treatment of this brain disease. This class is designed for experiential learning. You will learn and apply the 11 diagnostic criteria of addictions to real people in recovery. I will bring in speakers that are in recovery from addiction. Students will be required to make full and complete diagnoses based on the stories told and follow up questions. Students will be required to attend on-line or in-person meetings to get familiar with the cultures and communities. In our final class, students will present group research into areas of addiction that they have found interesting and present annotated bibliographies to exhibit the research behind their work. Individually, students can present papers to me if they wish to start or extend research outside of this Winter Study class. The long-term goal of this class is to raise awareness of what addiction is and is not. At the end of the month, students can decide to enable or help a person who is impacted by addiction. They will know, first hand, that there is both help and treatment. It will allow them to be a better family member, neighbor, co-worker, or/and friend.
The Class: Format: lecture
Limit: 25
Expected: NA
Class#: 1351
Grading: pass/fail only
Requirements/Evaluation: Presentation(s); Other: Meeting expectations of syllabus- attendance, short papers, participation
Prerequisites: none
Enrollment Preferences: first and second years get preference
Unit Notes: Rick Berger is Director of Clinical Services at Greylock Recovery, a new 30-day in-patient addiction clinic in Williamstown. He's taught at five colleges in the US, Japan, and South Korea. He is 30+ years into a sobriety started as an undergraduate.
Attributes: EXPE Experiential Education Courses
STUX Winter Study Student Exploration
WELL Winter Study Wellness

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