Addictions and the Self

Abstract

This paper describes an experimental, strengths-based pro gram for the treat ment of sub stance abus ing offend ers un der crim i nal jus tice su per vi sion in the United States Pro ba tion De part ment. The program is based upon new phys i o log i cal ev i dence that links ad die tions to the ex perience of hope, and consistent research that identifiesself-efficacy, futu rity and self-es teem as cru cial el e ments in re cov ery. Rooted in con cepts taken from Jung ian and Maslowian ideas of the Self, the program uses techniques gleaned from Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) and Ericksonian hyp no sis to pro vide a con tin u ing sense of Self and the pos si bil ity of pos i tive, self-ac tu al iz ing fu tures. This ar ti cle ex plores the the o ret i cal back ground of the pro gram, spe cific tools em ployed, pro gram re suits and sugges tions for fur ther research

Key Words:

• Criminal offenders
• drug treatment
• self-enhancement
• group exercises