Addictive Disorders & Addiction Therapy

Biography

Biography: Athukoralage Bandara

Abstract

The heroin dependency develops with the perceptions persuade by the drug user through past experiences. The drug users, peers, people in the community and even some service providers develop associations with heroin. Most of the associations connect with primary human motives as well as secondary and social motives of the human beings. The drug users internalize the associations into their unconscious mind and project perceptions towards drug use. The perceptions create high level of desire to take a particular drug and develop psychological dependency. There is no absolute truth in those perceptions, but the drug dependents believe that there is a real relationship between the drug and the associated factor. From the working sample, 120 selected heroin dependents were admitted for the residential treatment at the Treatment and Rehabilitation Center, Galle. The control group of 40 clients had been selected from another treatment and rehabilitation center situated in Kandy. The very first day after the admissions, the desire levels of heroin dependents had been measured using appropriate indicators. During period of the residential treatment program, the counselors extensively used individual and group counseling sessions as well as group discussions to change the perceptions, illogical thinking patters and myths of the heroin users. The past experience re-examine technique was vastly used to re-examine the past experiences of the heroin use of the clients. For the control group we did not do any therapeutic interventions to influences their perceptions, illogical thinking patterns and beliefs of myths. After completion of the treatment program using the same set of indicators the desire levels of both groups were measured. After analyzing the data author indicated that the found desire levels of the working group had been reduced immensely and the clients who belong to the control group has not projected much reduction in their desire levels. Regular monthly follow-up programs were conducted for both groups for one year and at the end of the first-year author found that those who have reduced the desire levels were living for longer periods without consuming heroin and those who have not reduced the desire levels relapsed within few weeks. The clients who belong to the control group were unable to reduce their desire levels and relapsed immediately after releasing from the treatment center. Finally, I found strong evidence to prove the hypothesis, that there is a positive relationship between desire levels and heroin dependency.