Aggression Of Drug Users Against The Others And The Need For Psychotherapeutic Crisis/Preventive Intervention (Case Study)

Abstract

Divergent (deviant) behaviour is a natural reaction to the situation, caused by rising conflicts between the individual target pursuit and social norms. Deviant behaviour and normative behaviour are equally important components of social behaviour [1]. Since the emergence of norms of social behaviour, society has always tried to ensure safety and to eliminate unwanted forms of human activities [2]. The results of the sociological researches show that the main causes and motives of drug use are desire for pleasure and wish to experience a sense of euphoria. Since in many cases drug users are young people, these motives are supported by social immaturity, carelessness and frivolity. Most of the drug users under research (77.1 % of the respondents) have been involved into this quagmire by others, mostly their friends, acquaintances or representatives of hedonistic philosophy [3]. The need for psychotherapeutic crisis/preventive intervention for drug users, who often demonstrate breakthroughs of aggressive behaviour against the others, can be considered as a complex research problem. Goal: to reveal the need for psychotherapeutic crisis/preventive intervention for drug users, who demonstrate aggressive behaviour against the others. Objective: to analyse the need for psychotherapeutic crisis/preventive intervention for drug users, by applying a case study. Methods. Qualitative research method: a case study (psychotherapy with drug users, who demonstrate aggression against the others). The psychotherapeutic sessions provided within the first ten days after the first meeting with the drug user have been analysed. Results. The results of the case study have shown that the psychotherapeutic relationship without evaluation and accusation creates a sufficiently safe contact, during which the addicted person starts talking about his criminal experiences and the situations and circumstances that had led him to commit the crimes. In the process of sharing the feelings of shame and guilt are felt and experienced. Appearance of these feelings and ability to experience them suggest that it is important for individuals suffering from addiction to comply with social norms and to be accepted, but the “desperation” of the situation and inability to see further force them to behave recklessly. The psychotherapeutic process has allowed the person to feel accepted, regardless of the actions, arising desires, thoughts and feelings; it has enabled the person to view the actual circumstances as if “from the distance” and to evaluate both the situation itself and the consequences of the selected actions in a more objective way. Conclusions. The need for psychotherapeutic crisis/ preventive intervention for drug users, who demonstrate aggression against the others is significant due to the following reasons: 1) when faced with a critical situation (e.g., need for a dose), a drug user is prone to violate social norms, by demonstrating aggressive behaviour against the others; 2) an addicted person, who experiences social acceptance, is more prone to maintain the behaviour compliant with social norms; 3) acknowledgement of deviant behaviour (talking openly) allows better understanding of both the behaviour itself and its destructive impact on the person and those around him/her; 4) the analysis of the crisis helps to see it as not so critical and look for the socially acceptable ways of overcoming it.