INSTRUCTIONS:
Prior to beginning work on this discussion, read Chapters 8 and 10 of the course textbook, Understanding the Stigma of Mental and Substance use Disorders (Links to an external site.) , Shaming the Sick: Addiction and Stigma (Links to an external site.) , and Words Matter: How Language Choice Can Reduce Stigma (Links to an external site.) . In addition, watch the Ending the Stigma of Mental Illness (Links to an external site.) video, and review this week’s Instructor Guidance. For this discussion, find a current event (e.g., story from a television show, news report, or social media, etc.) related to one of the topics below. Mental health disorder (e.g., Autism, ADD/ADHD, Depression, Bipolar, Anxiety, PTSD, Schizophrenia, etc.). Substance use disorder (e.g., alcohol, prescription medications, street drugs, etc.). In your discussion post, Share the link to the current event at the top of your post (Note: it MUST be a link your classmates can open and view). Summarize the current event; include the wording used by the author to describe the mental or substance use disorder. Discuss the back story of the person(s) involved in the event (e.g., medical history, life-altering event, trauma, etc.) as described by the source. Discuss any social, physical, and/or psychological behaviors that are normally associated with the disorder described; include any unique life stressors (e.g., relationships, employment, housing, life event, etc.) that may have contributed to the event. Prepare an APA-formatted reference at the end of your initial discussion post for the source.