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addictions

Intervention Approach

Therapeutic Communities

There are numerous therapeutic models that attempt to address the various aspects and manifestations of the problem of drug addiction. These include out-patient therapy, methadone maintenance, psychotherapy, placement in foster homes, self-support groups and residential treatment in therapeutic communities.

Therapeutic communites (TC's) have acquired substantial credibility as a preferred treatment method for many types of addiction. One of the premises of the TC model is that, among the various influences that lead to drug use, social (or antisocial) factors have great importance. Often the individual that uses drugs does so in order to avoid being confronted by social constraints and personal limitations. In the TC the peer community helps to guide the recovering abuser in learning to readjust his attitudes and behavior toward himself and others, to deal in a positive fashion with the difficulties that he may encounter during the course of his therapey and to learn the social skills, attitudes and behaviors necessary to re-enter society as a healthy, productive citizen.

The staff of a treatment facility may include persons with professional training, including psychologists, medical doctors and social workers. Usually a vaiety of services, including legal, social and psychological are also available for those that require them. In additions, however, major emphasis is placed on the role of former drug abusers in the later stages of treatment, who are responsible for providing supervision, peer support and encouragement, and who also serve as role models, for the newer residents.

The residents live 24 hours a day in a community environment. They are rare rarely alone and constantly busy. The community lifestyle is always very intense, a continuous effort for the recovering drug abuser. As in normal society he must learn how to live harmoniously with others and to respect the rules, including the ones he understands and the ones he may not understand. Nevertheless, the end of the day hopefully brings to most the satisfaction of positive activities well spent.