Drug addiction – bullies and victims

We have mapped the issue of violence in the target group, i.e. people addicted to non-alcoholic drugs who are undergoing long-term treatment in the therapeutic community of Karlov or Němčice. The clients were included in the project on the basis of their own free decision and the expert consideration of the staff, whether they had problems with rage and violence and/or had been in the victim’s role for a long time. Repeated experience of traumatic situations associated with rage and violence is both physically and mentally uncontrollable in the long term. The role of the violence perpetrator or victim is imprinted in the personality of the individual (behavioural patterns are strengthened by repetition), which, together with addiction, can lead to a total disintegration of the personality. Our clients have become aware of this aspect of their lives, and we have put an emphasis on working with rage and violence together. During the project we created 19 modules for group work, and these modules have become an integral part of the community therapeutic program. Workers participated in an educational plan. Our modules can be taken over by other medical facilities, and we are also considering transferring them to outpatient services in the future. On the whole, we have managed to introduce group and individual therapy and spread awareness of it. We have published a research study on the topic and organised a professional conference, the proceedings of which were published. We also published articles, distributed leaflets and other necessary information among the non-professional public (e.g. clients of low-threshold services).