Beyond the Shadow of Drugs: Groups with Substance Misusers

Abstract

The myth of Sisyphus speaks to an excruciating cycle of relief and suffering that is central in addiction. This article considers the long shadow cast by drug use, which often constitutes a psychic takeover of personality, with healthier aspects of the self and other interests subsumed by the seductive thrall of intoxication. Such shadows can manifest in groups that promote sober dialogue and eschew anti-dialogue/group process. A means of strengthening psychic muscle, psychodynamic groups are shown to temper the destructive pull towards euphoric or mindless states. In recovery there is a provocative mixing of memory and desire, and recollections of drug highs in groups serve dangerous desires in their enactment of a talking high. Movement towards freedom from drugs, which includes the building of new identities, must be continually fought for. Clinical examples illustrate these points, and point to the devastating impact of addiction in families and the identity voids associated with destructive drinking and drugging.