Breaking the habit: a retrospective analysis of desistance factors among formerly problematic heroin users
Breaking the habit: a retrospective analysis of desistance factors among formerly problematic heroin users
复制标题
DOI：
10.1080/09595230802392808
复制
发表时间：
2008-01-01
影响因子：
3.8
通讯作者：
Loaring, Jessica
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Best, David W.;Ghufran, Safeena;Loaring, Jessica
简介和目标。本研究的目的是调查前吸毒者的海洛因职业生涯，以评估戒断因素和持续戒毒的解释。设计和方法。该研究调查了 107 名已实现长期戒毒的前海洛因吸毒者，了解他们实现和维持戒毒的经历。该群体是从三个来源机会性地招募的，大量吸引了在成瘾领域工作的前用户。结果。平均而言，该群体的海洛因生涯持续了不到 10 年，期间平均有 2.6 次治疗和 3.1 次戒断期，在完成调查时，该群体平均戒除海洛因已有 10 年。最终实现禁欲的最常见原因是“厌倦了生活方式”，其次是与心理健康相关的原因。相比之下，当被要求解释如何维持戒毒时，客户引用了社交网络因素（远离吸毒朋友并得到不吸毒朋友的支持）和实际因素（住宿和就业）以及宗教或精神因素。与得到广泛认可的“12步法”相比，在实现或维持禁欲方面的治疗并没有被广泛提及。讨论和结论。该研究支持从职业角度审视海洛因职业，并表明，虽然长期阿片类药物使用者可以实现戒断，但持续戒断的途径很复杂，并且往往依赖于外部支持系统。
Introduction and Aims. The aim of this study was to examine heroin careers among former users to assess desistance factors and explanations for sustained abstinence. Design and Methods. The study surveyed 107 former problematic heroin users who have achieved long-term abstinence about their experiences of achieving and sustaining abstinence. The cohort was recruited opportunistically from three sources, drawing heavily on former users working in the addictions field. Results. On average, the group had heroin careers lasting for just under 10 years, punctuated by an average of 2.6 treatment episodes and 3.1 periods of abstinence, and had been heroin abstinent for an average of 10 years at the time of completing the survey. The most commonly expressed reason for finally achieving abstinence was 'tired of the lifestyle' followed by reasons relating to psychological health. In contrast, when asked to explain how abstinence was sustained, clients quoted both social network factors (moving away from drug-using friends and support from non-using friends) and practical factors (accommodation and employment) as well as religious or spiritual factors. Treatment was not mentioned widely either in achieving or sustaining abstinence, in contrast to 12-Step, which was endorsed widely. Discussion and Conclusions. The study supports a careers perspective for examining heroin careers and indicates that, while achieving abstinence is possible for chronic opiate users, the path to sustained abstinence is complex and often reliant upon external support systems.