| The making of the chronic addict. | |
| | |
MedLine Citation:
|
PMID: 19444727 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
|
Inspired by social problems theory, this article analyzes the "formula story" of harm reduction in a Danish addiction-treatment context. In Denmark, very few opiate addicts are in drug-free therapeutic treatment. Instead, they are offered methadone (often on a permanent basis) accompanied by practical help in tackling the negative social, economic, and health-related consequences of their drug use. The aim of this article is to show how the formula story of harm reduction-and first and foremost the idea that opiate addiction is an incurable condition-tends to work as a self-fulfilling prophesy. Opiate addicts entering the treatment system risk being "made up" as chronic addicts regardless of how they themselves look upon their own addiction problem and notwithstanding that many of them have not given up their hope of becoming drug-free. The article is based on two types of data: (1) file records (gathered in 2007) describing the addiction problems and treatment careers of clients enrolled at outpatient treatment centers in Copenhagen, and (2) qualitative interviews (conducted in 2006) with 30 methadone-program participants at the centers. The analysis is qualitative and the empirical results cannot necessarily be generalized to other methadone-maintenance programs. Yet the theoretical message of the article is applicable to all treatment institutions and social problems work in general. Definitions and categorizations of clients are not innocent, and naming people and their problems is the same as changing them. |
| | |
Authors:
|
Margaretha Järvinen; Ditte Andersen |
Related Documents
:
|
19887407 - Ethical challenges in long-term funding for hiv/aids. 2287667 - Six problems of a prison psychologist: a personal account. 16499517 - Helping smokers to decide on the use of efficacious smoking cessation methods: a random... 1925167 - Crossover trials, degrees of freedom, the carryover problem and its dual. 15360847 - Problems and solutions with integrating terminologies into evolving knowledge bases. 12212917 - Challenging behaviour: a challenge to change. |
Publication Detail:
|
Type: Journal Article |
Journal Detail:
|
Title: Substance use & misuse Volume: 44 ISSN: 1532-2491 ISO Abbreviation: Subst Use Misuse Publication Date: 2009 |
Date Detail:
|
Created Date: 2009-05-15 Completed Date: 2009-08-17 Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
|
Nlm Unique ID: 9602153 Medline TA: Subst Use Misuse Country: United States |
Other Details:
|
Languages: eng Pagination: 865-85 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
|
The Danish National Centre for Social Research and Department of Sociology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. mja@sfi.dk |
Export Citation:
|
APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
|
Adult Analgesics, Opioid / administration & dosage, therapeutic use Behavior, Addictive / drug therapy* Chronic Disease Denmark Drug Users* Female Harm Reduction Humans Interviews as Topic Male Methadone / administration & dosage, therapeutic use Opioid-Related Disorders / rehabilitation Substance Abuse Treatment Centers Young Adult |
| Chemical | |
Reg. No./Substance:
|
0/Analgesics, Opioid; 76-99-3/Methadone |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Previous Document: Polydrug use among club-going young adults recruited through time-space sampling.
Next Document: HIV-Risk Behavior Among Injecting or Non-Injecting Drug Users in Cape Town, Pretoria, and Durban, So...