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Volume 8, Issue 4 (Suppl)
J Addict Res Ther
ISSN: 2155-6105 JART, an open access journal
Alcoholism 2017
July 03-04, 2017
July 03-04, 2017 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
7
th
International Conference on
Addictive Disorders and
Alcoholism
Relationship between heroin dependency and the desire levels of the heroin users
Bandara Athukoralage
National Dangerous Drugs Control Board, Sri Lanka
T
he heroin dependency develop with the perceptions persuade by the drug user through past experiences. The drug users,
peers, people in the community and even some service providers develop associations with heroin. Most of the associations
connect with primary human motives as well as secondary and social motives of the human beings. The drug users internalize the
associations into their unconscious minds and project perceptions towards drug use. The perceptions create high level of desire
to consume a particular drug and develop psychological dependency. There is no absolute truth in those perceptions but the drug
dependents believe that there is a real relationship between the drug and the associate factor. The working sample of 120 selected
from the heroin dependents were admitted for the residential at the Galle treatment and rehabilitation centre. The control group
of 20 clients has been selected from another treatment and rehabilitation centre situated in Kandy. The very first day after the
admissions, the desire levels of the heroin dependents have been measured using appropriate indicators. During the period of
the residential treatment programme, the counselors extensively used individual and group counseling sessions as well as group
discussions to change the perceptions, illogical thinking patterns and myths of the heroin users. The past experience re-examine
technique was vastly used to re-examine the past experiences of the heroin use of the clients. For the control group we did not do
any therapeutic interventions to influence their perceptions, illogical thinking patterns and beliefs of myths. After completion of
the treatment programme, using the same set of indicators the desire levels of the both groups were measured. After analyzing the
data, I found that the desire levels of the working group had been reduced immensely and the clients who belong to the control
group has not projected much reduction in their desire levels. Regular monthly follow-up programmes were conducted for both
groups for one year and at the end of the year I found that those who have reduced the desire levels were living longer periods
without consuming heroin and those who have not reduced the desire levels relapsed within few months. The clients who belong
to the control group were unable to reduce their desire levels, relapsed immediately after releasing from the treatment centre.
Finally I found strong evidence to prove the hypothesis, that there is a positive relationship between desire levels and heroin
dependency. The replications of similar programmes are widely open for further research.
indrarathnabandara50@gmail.comJ Addict Res Ther 2017, 8:4 (Suppl)
DOI: 10.4172/2155-6105-C1-031