Melanie Hilliard

This paper presents a comprehensive comparison and contrast of select addiction support groups-Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), and Al-Anon-with formal addiction therapy groups. It begins with a brief historical overview of each group, detailing their inception, evolution, and core principles. The paper subsequently delves into the structural nuances of group meetings. It outlines the self-help and peer support nature of AA, NA, and Al-Anon meetings-often characterized by personal testimonies, sponsorship, and a nonprofessional setting. In contrast, addiction therapy groups are typically facilitated by trained therapists and focus on structured therapeutic interventions, coping mechanisms, and evidencebased treatments. Furthermore, the function and effectiveness of these groups are explored. While the support groups place significant emphasis on spirituality, shared experiences, and anonymity, therapy groups center on therapeutic principles, targeted interventions, and systematic progress assessments.

Human development encompasses complex interactions between biological, psychological, and social influences, as Engel proposed in 1977 (Wong et al., 2015). The purpose of this paper is to analyze Erik Erikson's Psychosocial Developmental theory and apply it to critical events that occurred throughout the author's life and correlate developmental stage milestones with notable issues. The author presents traumatic experiences of abuse that occurred from birth until adolescence and significant influences in her development during that time period until her current age of 48. Research has shown that intense trauma and adverse events can disrupt normal development (Nader, 2020). The paper attempts to take research on trauma, the traumatic events in the author's life, and incorporate a view of each stage of psychosocial development.

Robin Williams touched so many lives by making people laugh.  The mention of his name brings images of the characters like Mrs. Doubtfire to mind.  For over four decades, he made a huge impression on many lives. It is difficult to comprehend how someone brought happiness to so many people only to struggle with depression and alcoholism.