TreaTmenT
A question
Existentialism can give
us a fresh angle on
addressing the
debilitating void that
follows addiction,
suggests Lana Durjava
T
hrough years of interactions with
compulsive drug users in a variety of
different settings, I have noticed the
recurring pattern of lack of direction
and meaning. This has appeared to be
a significant factor in both
predisposing and perpetuating addictive behaviour,
and is something that is not automatically eliminated
when a person stops using drugs.
Purpose deficit, so to speak, frequently persists
through time, and it sometimes becomes even more
pronounced once drug-free life is achieved. To help
people attain long-term and personally fulfilling
recovery, it is advisable for practitioners to be mindful
of this shortfall, to understand how it relates to
excessive drug use and to possess enough practical
knowledge to be able to confidently deliver effective
interventions. In order to do that, useful insights can
be drawn from a field that is not necessarily the first
go-to within substance use treatment – that of
existential philosophy.
6 | drinkanddrugsnews | May 2019
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