"The Addicted Brain" a MOOC or Massive Open Online Course with Coursera and Emory University, is a great course on what happens with substance abuse and the brain. It is a very informative and compassionate look at substance abuse disorders and is accessible and easy to enroll and complete.
I applied for Financial Aid around the beginning of January, when I wanted to rededicate my educational online efforts to supporting my mental health advocacy and substance abuse prevention efforts here in Wayne County, PA. I sit on what amounts to the the local department of mental health[s advisory committee. Anyhow, with this past Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day I decided to buckle down and do the online lectures and quizzes needed to earn this certificate from Emory University. As part of my dedication to the concept of "The Beloved Community" a Dr. King ideal, I put forth extra effort to complete this course before President-Elect Joe Biden's swearing in today. I was fortunately able to do so with some help from a commonly used drug, which is legal, caffeine, in the form of coffee and soda. We must be realistic about drug use it is pervasive even if you don't usually think of alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine as drugs they are. Anyhow, there are other issues of drugs too, opioid epidemics and the legalize marijuana initiatives. All of which were covered by this course, issues of the day were a point of concern for the instructor.
I have studied the opioid crisis in much more detail in a University of Michigan MOOC with Coursera, so I am not new to that topic. This is the first time medical marijuana and recreational legalization efforts were an academic topic for my study.
I appreciated the conservative and cautious warnings of the instructor, a premiere research professor in the field of brain imagery and brain research as it relates to substance abuse.
We are in interesting times and we are embarking on a new Presidential Administration. With that my dedication to my community remains strong, and my ministry as a clergyman is also something which this course touched on as I can be a resource for others as a community leader.
The LGBT community has a complex relationship with substance abuse issues, one which can put members in an at risk category and we must be honest and open about that risk.
Also victims of trauma like home invasions and abusive assaults are in an at risk category as well. So are people with symptoms of serious mental illness in an at risk category. Being aware of that risk and the dangerous fall out of substance abuse can be a deterrent. Also it is important to note that both voluntary and mandated recovery in treatment is possible and can equally lead to healthy outcomes. This is a key when people are in despair and feel there are no options left, court mandated treatment may indeed be a saving grace for those moments. Also we must look at Drug Courts as compassionate and needed ways to deal justly with treatment options for low level offenses such as small amount possession and drug use. There are other issues best covered in the course like Harm Reduction issues and anti-Stigma as it related to getting people treatment when they most need it.