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One of the obstacles to the rehabilitation of the drug addict is the
lack of desire. By the time the addict gets into serious drug use,
drugs have become an integral part of his life. In fact, he has
built a whole new lifestyle around his drugs.
His focus is on getting enough drugs to satisfy
his cravings, his addiction. He loses his desire to do much of
anything else. He drops out of the normal kind of living that you
and I are into. Most often he stops working if he can afford to or
if his family continues to support him. He no longer cares to strive
to better himself. In fact, even as he feels himself sinking deeper
into addiction, he feels helpless to prevent the downward spiral of
his life.
He is more comfortable with his drug using
friends than he is with straight people. Crazy and self-destructive
as his lifestyle might be, it is what he has come to be accustomed
to and feel at ease in.
Sure, there are moments where his conscience
bothers him and prods him to change his ways, but the effort needed
to do so and the prospect of giving up his pleasures quickly
silence the feeble voice of his conscience.
Consequently, the Filipino addict will almost
always have to be forced into rehab. Rare is the addict who walks
into a rehab center and says “I need help, please take me in.
“Families have to compel the addict to change. Or, the
courts will give him the choice: jail or rehab.
The addict who arrives in the rehab center
doesn’t want to be there. The challenge of the
rehabilitation therapist is to motivate the addict to want to
change. This is no small task. You might think that addicts are easy
to convince. Wrong! they cling like glue to their ways.
This was made abundantly clear the other day
when I held a session with my Nazareth House residents. I asked them
to tell me what was more difficult for them to give up, their drugs
or their lifestyle.
It was unanimous. Every single one said that
giving up their lifestyle was far more difficult than surrendering
their drugs.
I asked them to try to quantify the differences.
All said that changing their lifestyle was 70, 80 and 90 percent of
the total difficulty factor. Abandoning their drugs accounts for
only 10, 20 or 30 percent difficulty.
That might come as a surprise to you. It
shouldn’t if you look at what they are up against. Many have never
worked a day in their lives. Most who did work have become
dysfunctional. Their drug taking has caused them to drop out of
mainstream society. Going back to the normal life you and I live is
scary to them. Having to go back to school, back to working an 8 hr.
day is a great challenge to them.
This is why the first phase of rehab is all
about getting the addict to want to change. There is great
resistance to change even if he follows the routines of the house.
He goes through the motions even if in his head and heart, he
still clings to his old ways.
If we are successful, that will change. Remember
that addicts think that the straight lifestyle is exceedingly
boring. They also find the straight lifestyle to be very
stressful compared to the easy going, irresponsible, pleasure
centered lifestyle of the addict. Convincing them otherwise and
getting them to abandon their old ways for a new, uncomfortable
lifestyle is no easy matter. Still, it is essential if the addict is
to get well.
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If you have problems about drugs, alcohol and
behavior/attitude call my office at 8206107 or 8251771 or e-mail me
at gvcbuenca@vasia.com or write me at P.O. Box 2099 MCPO, Makati
City.
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