The thesis describes a demonstration of the use of drama and psychodrama approach as a method when working with a drug dependent client during the treatment in a therapeutic community. In the theoretical part I focus on clarification of terms associated with the name of thesis, especially with the concepts of dramatherapy, psychodrama, catharsis, abreaction, corrective emotional experience. Furthermore, the theoretical section contains information on individual methods and possibilities of their use. The main objective of thesis was to illustrate a specific therapeutic method by the analysis of particular work, in my case dramatherapy and psychodrama. In the practical part I analysed from available documents and observing to which extent dramatherapy and psychodrama may be beneficial for a client in the treatment in the therapeutic community and demonstrated their impact on the client. The outcome of thesis is a description of each session, which can serve as an inspiration for starting dramatherapists working with drug dependent clients. Furthermore, it is also the analysis of client's development, a progress in the treatment and a thorough analysis during and after the sessions. KEYWORDS dramatherapy, psychodrama, catharsis, abreaction, corrective emotional experience, therapeutic community...

Nos pressupostos winnicotianos, experiências provenientes de uma maternagem insatisfatória podem não propiciaro desenvolvimento adequado dos fenômenos tradicionais, resultando em patologias como a adicção. Devido aos poucos estudos existentes relacionando o fenômeno adicção com a maternagem, decidiu-se investigar o funcionamento psíquico de mães de adictos a drogas, a fim de se verificar quais características deste funcionamento poderiam dificultar o desempenho adequado da função materna. Fizeram parte deste estudo 10 mães de adictos a drogas (cocaína), que foram atendidas individualmente em situação de psicodiagnóstico, incluindo Entrevista semidirigida sobre o filho, Entrevista baseada na Escala Diagnóstica Adaptativa Operacionalizada (EDAO) sobre elas próprias e aplicação do Método de Rorschach. As mães foram convidadas a participar desta pesquisa à medida que seus filhos - do sexo masculino e adicto à droga cocaína - davam entrada para tratamento no Centro de Atenção Psicossocial em Álcool e Droga (CAPS-AD) do município de Santana de Parnaíba (região oeste da Grande São Paulo, Brasil). Os filhos adictos não apresentavam perturbação neurológica ou psicológica grave e foram avaliados por outro profissional diferente do resposnável por esta coleta de dados. Na região atendida, predomina uma população de baixa renda. Os dados foram analisados e relacionados entre si, privilegiando os processos de pensamento, de socialização e a dinâmica afetiva, utilizando-se o referencial psicanalítico winnicottiano. Os resultados do grupo no Método de Rorschach e nas Entrevistas configuraram um perfil marcado por um funcionamento psíquico imaturo, por um embotamento afetivo e intelectual, dificuldades de relacionamento objetal adulto, atitudes ambíguas e tendência à repetição de vivências conjugais geradoras de sofrimento, decorrentes de violência e abusos. Tal funcionamento parece derivar-se das próprias vivências precoces, permeadas por uma maternagem não suficientemente boa, que compromete o desenvolvimento do processo de sepração e individuação. A partir deste funcionamento, estas mães não se mostraram capazes de favorecer o desenvolvimento adequado de seus filhos pelas próprias dificuldades na passagem da dependência para a independência e no desenvolvimento de um espaço transicional. / Winnicott reported that an unsatisfatory good-enough mothering experience may not provide the appropriate transitional phenomena development leading to pathologies, for instance the addition. Considering the few studies regarding the relations between the addictive phenomenon and mothering from the mother perspective, was decided upon the investigation on the drug-addicted mother\'s psychic functioning, in order to verify if these performance characteristics could disturb the proper mother\'s function development. This study copes with 10 drug-addict mothers (cocain) that were attended individually in psychodiagnostic assessment, including a semi-structured interview referring to their son, an Adaptive Operational Diagnostic Scale (EDAO) interview and the Rorschach Method. The mothers were invited to participate in the study as long as that their sons, also drug addicted (cocain), had been brought for the treatment at the Alcohool and Drugs Psychological Care Center (CAPS-AD) in the Santana de Parnaíba municipality (São Paulo west region, Brazil), and this is predominantly low-income population. Theis sons were addicts and they did not present neurological or psychological severe disturbance, they were evaluated by another professional other than the person responsible for data collection. Using the Winnicott\'s psychoanalitic reference the data was analyzed and related among each other, focusing on the thought and socialization processes, and on the affective dynamics. The Rorschach Method and interviews results suggested a group with an immature psychological functioning profile, distinguished by an affective flattening, an intellectual blunting, a difficulty in an adult object-reaction, double-meaning attitudes and repeated marital experiences that causes suffering by its violence and abuse. These characterists seem to be a consequence of their own previous experiences and from an unsatisfactory good-enough mothering, hindering their separation/individuation process development. Consequently, the mothers were not able to assist their sons with a proper development considering their own difficulties related to the dependence-independence process and their transitional area development.

O objeto deste estudo é a concepção Redução de Danos, optou-se pelo estudo qualitativo, exploratório e de campo. O objetivo principal é identificar e analisar as concepções dos profissionais de um Centro de Atenção Psicossocial Álcool e outras Drogas da cidade de São Paulo acerca da Redução de Danos. Foi desenvolvido com profissionais da equipe técnica de saúde mental e o coordenador do serviço. O marco conceitual teórico deste estudo é a Reforma Psiquiátrica e os pressupostos da Redução de Danos. Para a obtenção do material empírico a técnica empregada foi à entrevista semi-estruturada. Os instrumentos para coleta de dados contemplam a caracterização sociodemográfica dos colaboradores e um roteiro para entrevista que foi gravada. Os dados foram transcritos e analisados sob a luz do método Hermenêutico Dialético. Na análise emergiram quatro categorias: dificuldade em classificar a gravidade do consumo; a droga para encobrir as necessidades de grupos sociais desfavorecidos; a droga como necessidade de todas as classes nos tempos atuais e formas da RD de trabalhar com o consumo. O resultado aponta que para os sujeitos deste estudo a RD se posiciona como uma abordagem que se opõe ao modelo hegemônico de guerra as drogas e não parte do ponto único e exclusivo do uso de drogas como doença. Afirmam que a RD não é contra a abstinência e visa diminuir riscos e danos a saúde considerando todo o contexto, o desejo e as possibilidades de cada pessoa. Nesse sentido, amplia a oferta e as possibilidades de cuidados para as pessoas que fazem uso prejudicial dos diversos psicoativos. / The object of this study is the concept of Harm Reduction. It was opted to use a field research, with exploratory and qualitative approach. The main objective was to identify and analyze the views about Harm Reduction of professionals from a Psychosocial Care Center for Alcohol and Other Drugs in São Paulo. The study as developed throughout all of the professional categories, e.g. higher-level, technical and coordinators of the staff. The theoretical framework of this study is the Psychiatric Reform and the assumptions of Harm Reduction. To obtain the empirical data, it were used semi-structured interviews as technique. The instruments for data collection include the sociodemographic characteristics of the members of the staff and a guide for the interviews, which were recorded. Data was transcribed and analyzed under the view of the Hermeneutic Dialectic method. In the analysis, four categories emerged: e.g. difficulties in classifying the severity of consumption; drugs as a way to cover the needs of disadvantaged groups; drugs as a need for all classes in the current times and ways of working with Harm Reduction and the consumption. The result shows that for the subjects in this study the Harm Reduction stands as an approach that opposes the hegemonic model of the war on drugs and not part of the one and only point of drug use as a disease. Claim that the Harm Reduction is not against abstinence and aims to reduce health risks and damage considering the entire context, the desire and the possibilities of each person. In this sense, extends the offer and the possibilities of care for people who make use of the various harmful psychoactive.

Álcool é substância lícita de abuso, promovendo dependência pela modulação de sistemas neurotransmissores, como GABAérgico e dopaminérgico. Taurina, um aminoácido utilizado como suplemento alimentar e constituinte de bebidas energéticas, exerce efeito modulatório positivo sobre receptores GABAA. Estudos em animais sugerem efeito terapêutico da taurina na síndrome de abstinência. No entanto, não se sabe o efeito da taurina sobre o comportamento de animais durante o uso de álcool. Portanto, o objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o efeito do tratamento com taurina sobre o consumo voluntário de álcool e comportamentos de ratos. Foram oferecidas duas garrafas para ratos Wistar machos adultos, uma contendo álcool 20% em solução de sacarina 0,08% e a outra contendo apenas solução de sacarina 0,08% por 6 semanas. Ao grupo controle foram oferecidas duas garrafas contendo sacarina 0,08%. O consumo diário de líquidos dos dois grupos foi monitorado. No 22º dia eles foram divididos em 4 grupos (n=12/grupo) para receber taurina 100 mg/kg (grupos Álcool/TAU e Controle/TAU), via intraperitoneal, uma vez ao dia, por 19 dias, ou solução salina 0,9% (grupos Álcool/SAL e Controle/SAL). Nos dias 22 e 33, os ratos foram expostos ao teste de campo aberto e, no dia 34, ao teste de claro/escuro. Nossos resultados mostraram que o tratamento com taurina aumentou em mais de 10% a preferência por álcool em relação aos animais não tratados. O consumo de álcool médio no grupo Álcool/SAL foi 12 g/kg/dia, enquanto que no grupo Álcool/TAU foi 20 g/kg/dia, sendo que taurina aumentou significativamente o consumo a partir o sexto dia de tratamento. No campo aberto, dose aguda de taurina reduziu a ambulação total de animais controle, além de aumentar os cruzamentos centrais do grupo álcool. Taurina aguda e crônica aumentou a latência de auto-limpeza (grooming) e apenas o tratamento crônico reduziu 8 a frequência de grooming independentemente dos grupos. No teste de claro/escuro, taurina aumentou o tempo de permanência no compartimento claro, o número de transições entre os compartimentos e a latência para entrar no compartimento escuro apenas no grupo álcool, indicando efeito tipo-ansiolítico. Conclui-se que o tratamento crônico com taurina aumenta o consumo voluntário e preferência por álcool em ratos, possivelmente por efeito sinérgico com o álcool que facilita a ativação da via de recompensa dopaminérgica. O efeito tipo-ansiolítico da taurina no grupo álcool também pode ser justificado por efeito aditivo sobre receptores GABAA. Demonstramos que a taurina não apresenta efeito antiaditivo e, talvez, como o acamprosato, possa ser efetiva no controle da recaída, somente após abstinência. / Alcohol is a licit substance of abuse, promoting dependence by the modulation of different neurotransmitter systems, such as GABAergic and dopaminergic. Taurine, an amino acid used as food supplement and constituent of energy drinks, exerts positive modulatory effect on GABAA receptors. Animal studies suggest a therapeutic effect of taurine on withdrawal alcohol syndrome. However, the effect of taurine on the behavior of animals during alcohol use is not known. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of taurine treatment on voluntary alcohol consumption and on behaviors of rats. Two bottles were offered to adult male Wistar rats, one containing 20% alcohol in 0.08% saccharin solution and another containing only 0.08% saccharin solution for 6 weeks. Two bottles containing 0.08% saccharin were offered to the control group. The daily liquid intake of both groups was monitored. On day 22 they were divided into 4 groups (n =12/group) to receive taurine 100 mg/kg (Alcohol/TAU and Control/TAU groups), intraperitoneally, once a day, for 19 days, or 0.9% saline (Alcohol/SAL and Control/SAL groups). On days 22 and 33, rats were exposed to the open field test and, on day 34, to the light/dark test. Our results showed that taurine treatment increased by more than 10% the alcohol preference compared to untreated animals. The average alcohol consumption in the Alcohol/SAL group was 12 g/kg/day, while in the Alcohol/TAU group it was 20 g/kg/day, and taurine significantly increased the consumption from the day 6 of treatment. In the open field, acute dose of taurine reduced the total ambulation of control animals and increased central crossings of alcohol group. Acute and chronic taurine increased the latency for grooming, and only chronic treatment reduced the frequency of grooming independently of the groups. On the light/dark test, taurine increased the time spent in light compartment, the number of 10 transitions between compartments and the latency to enter the dark compartment only in the alcohol group, indicating an anxiolytic-like effect. It is concluded that chronic taurine treatment increases alcohol voluntary consumption and preference in rats, possibly due to synergistic effects with alcohol that facilitates the activation of the dopaminergic reward pathway. The anxiolytic-like effect of taurine in the alcohol group may also be justified by additive effect on GABAA receptors. Our results show that taurine has no anti-additive effect and, perhaps as acamprosate, may be effective in controlling relapse only after abstinence.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-22T17:26:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Frederico Moreira.pdf: 992275 bytes, checksum: 2617eada80a01f5af65e54ba3d556cf2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-12-17 / This work aims to examine reading comprehension levels reached by chemical dependents regarding several text genres as compared to that of nondependents. The study subjects were divided into two groups of 20 people: G1, constituted by drug users, and G2, constituted by non-users. For testing subjects reading comprehension levels, we used two narrative texts, a fable and a short story, and also an expositive one, all of them prepared according to Cloze procedure. Chemical dependency stages were established by means of ASSIST test, which sets scores for identifying drug use stages through the lives of subjects. Results show that non-users present higher scores in Cloze procedure for all text genres used, which shows they have higher levels of reading comprehension than drug users. Data also proved that drugs damage important brain areas linked to users cognition, such as memory functions, focus and impulses / O presente trabalho tem como objetivo investigar o nível de compreensão leitora entre dependentes químicos, comparando-a com os não dependentes, em diferentes gêneros textuais. O estudo foi constituído de dois grupos, os usuários de drogas (G1) e não usuários de drogas (G2) cada grupo composto de 20 sujeitos. Para verificar a compreensão leitora, os participantes foram expostos a três textos, um do gênero fábula, outro do gênero conto e o terceiro do gênero divulgação científica para leigos, todos elaborados através do procedimento Cloze. O grau de dependência química, por sua vez, foi analisado por meio do teste ASSIST, que estabelece pontuações que indicam o nível de uso de drogas durante a vida dos sujeitos. Os resultados mostram que o grupo dos não usuários de drogas obteve maiores médias no procedimento Cloze em todos os gêneros textuais, mostrando assim um grau significativamente maior de compreensão leitora do que o grupo dos usuários de drogas. Os dados ainda sugerem a idéia de que a droga causa prejuízos em áreas importantes que se coadunam com a cognição de seus usuários, como funções de memória, concentração e controle de impulsos

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-04T18:27:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Lucas Cortelletti Uchoa.pdf: 572412 bytes, checksum: 16c2dd3bff2398cdaeb595bd4df46321 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-02-10 / Pontif?cia Universidade Cat?lica de Campinas / This paper discusses the issue of drug addiction as a problem related to failures in the transitioning phase, as suggested by Winnicott in his article "Transitional objects and transitional phenomena . Whereas the phenomenon of transitioning concerns both the separation and the integration of the subjective world with the world objectively perceived, this paper is to analyze both the environmental failures that may occur during the transitioning that could contribute to the emergence of drug addiction at a time later, as the interpretation that the drug addiction may correspond an attempt to experience this state of unionseparation as a quest for integration of the self. / Este trabalho pretende analisar a quest?o da drogadi??o como problema relacionado a falhas na fase da transicionalidade, tal como sugere Winnicott em seu artigo Objetos Transicionais e Fen?menos Transicionais . Considerando que o fen?meno da transicionalidade diz respeito tanto ? separa??o como ? integra??o do mundo subjetivo com o mundo objetivamente percebido, trata-se de analisar n?o s? as falhas ambientais que podem ocorrer na fase da transicionalidade e que poderiam contribuir para o surgimento da drogadi??o em data mais tardia, mas tamb?m a interpreta??o de que a drogadi??o pode corresponder a uma tentativa de experienciar este estado de uni?o-separa??o como uma busca de integra??o de si mesmo.

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2017-10-20T14:03:57Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Wojciech Mittelstaedt.pdf: 1167076 bytes, checksum: 560d9e5198cc41dc8ef7204f477e04b8 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-10-20T14:03:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Wojciech Mittelstaedt.pdf: 1167076 bytes, checksum: 560d9e5198cc41dc8ef7204f477e04b8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-09-29 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Fundação São Paulo - FUNDASP / This research seeks to illustrate the specificities in the process of recovery from chemical dependency in the therapeutic community of religious nature, where the religiosity is encouraged and lived becomes the primary tool in the fight against the addiction. This study wants to contribute to the recovery methods of the chemical dependents, showing that the religiosity as a method of therapy. As the hypothesis was considered the religiosity as a source of existential sense and psychological forces, with which the chemical dependent has got a greater possibility to abandon the addiction and to protect himself better from a relapse. Through the reports of the psychological care of four clinical cases during the addiction treatment, the changes occurred during the time of treatment were analysed in the religious and existential sense, through the methods of confrontation and life satisfaction. To realise this purpose have introduced: the complexity of the problem of dependence on psychoactive substances and those aspects of religiosity, which provide the existential meaning and greater resilience. The transformations were examined in the light of the concepts of religious experience, existential sense, conversion and theories of religious and moral development. The character of the bond formed with God was evaluated by the attachment theory. The particularities of a religious explication were considered according to the theory of attribution. Those methods of confrontation to bring meaning, control, spiritual comfort and closeness with others, were analysed by the coping religious theory of Pargament. The elements of well-being and life satisfaction, such as positive emotions, forces of character and positive relationships, were contemplated in the light of the concepts of positive psychology. It has been verified that the religiosity transformations take to a significant change of direction and develop positive psychological forces. In this way, this research has verified the positive influence of religiosity in the recovery process, increasing the resilience of dependent and supplying many protective elements / A presente pesquisa procura ilustrar as especificidades do processo de recuperação da dependência química na comunidade terapêutica de cunho religioso, onde a religiosidade incentivada e vivenciada se torna a ferramenta principal na luta contra a dependência. Essa tese quer contribuir na prática do trabalho de recuperação dos dependentes químicos, mostrando a religiosidade como método de terapia. Como hipótese foi considerada a religiosidade como fonte de sentido existencial e das forças psíquicas, com as quais o dependente químico tem maior possibilidade de abandonar o vício e proteger-se melhor da recaída. Através de relatos dos atendimentos psicológicos dos quatro casos clínicos, foram analisadas as mudanças ocorridas durante a internação, no sentido religioso e existencial, nos métodos de enfrentamento e na satisfação de vida. Para realizar esse propósito foram apresentadas: a complexidade do problema da dependência das substancias psicoativas e os aspectos da religiosidade, que fornecem o significado existencial e maior resiliência. As transformações foram examinadas a luz dos conceitos de experiência religiosa, sentido existencial, conversão e teorias de desenvolvimento religioso e moral. O caráter do vínculo formado com Deus foi avaliado pela teoria de apego. As particularidades da explicação religiosa foram ponderadas conforme da teoria de atribuição. Os métodos de enfrentamento para buscar significado, controle, conforto espiritual e proximidade com outros, foram analisados pela teoria de coping religioso de Pargament. Os elementos do bem-estar e satisfação de vida, tais como emoções positivas, forças de caráter e relacionamentos positivos, foram contemplados em luz dos conceitos da psicologia positiva. Foi constatado, que as transformações de religiosidade levam uma mudança significativa de sentido e aumentam as forças psíquicas positivas. Nesse modo, a pesquisa verificou a influência positiva da religiosidade no processo de recuperação, aumentando a resiliência do dependente e fornecendo vários elementos protetores

This dissertation examines Puerto Rican therapeutic communities – resource-poor mutual-aid collectives that have flourished over the past five decades, despite being heavily criticized by human rights groups for using unwaged labor as a method to treat addiction. The persistence of these communities, which are spreading rapidly across Latin America, is widely ascribed in international media to state neglect. I conducted a year of ethnographic research in Puerto Rico to understand why labor therapies thrive, and what these approaches are intended to achieve among those who practice them. Challenging the argument that labor therapies are the simple result of the state failing to provide alternatives, my research shows that during the last half century therapeutic communities have been successively recruited to serve a variety of distinct and sometimes competing interests. My examination of the multiple, contested, and sometimes-converging projects that inhere within this therapeutic regime shows that these organizations have variously served as entrepreneurial projects of informal enterprise, existential projects of redemption, state projects of containment, and shunt-valves for relieving burdens of dependency from straining kinship systems. Their endurance, therefore, not only reflects their capacity to patch the cracks of multiple faltering systems (including employment, corrections, family), but it also reflects their protean vulnerability to appropriation: that is, the ease with which they are co-opted by other actors for alternative utilities. Based on eight months of intensive participant observation in one therapeutic community, La Casita, where I explored the cultural logics and meanings of labor therapies, I argue that “drug treatment” here is not centrally geared towards “treating addiction.” Instead, La Casita’s therapeutic practices of labor therapy, time-discipline, prayer, and internal work are more instructively read as social technologies through which men who are excluded from the labor market and estranged from kinship ties seek to cultivate an alternative masculinity that restores their sense of worth. The “socially useful” masculinity under construction here, based on a performance of work, responsibility, and duty, offers unemployed men an alternative way to claim the dignity and social membership of work.

It is well established that methadone maintenance (MM) reduces but does not eliminate the self-administration of other illicit drugs. For those on MM, there is considerable variation in consumption patterns, route of heroin administration, additional non-opioid substances routinely administered and the clinical disorders associated with these patterns of use. While there is a large literature base documenting these phenomena, studies have been almost exclusively descriptive in nature, with little attempt to develop a theoretical model in which to understand such use. In the following thesis, a model proposed by Gray was tested, the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST). This biopsychosocial model broadly describes two action tendencies; approach (Behavioural Activation System) and avoidance or withdrawal (Flight Fight Freeze System and the Behavioural Inhibition System). The model proposes that a heightened sensitivity to punishment underlies anxiety disorders. Conversely, a heightened sensitivity to rewarding stimuli may predispose some individuals to engage in highly rewarding behaviour and is associated with conduct disorder and antisocial personality disorder. According to the Joint Subsystems Hypothesis, these personality styles are mutually dependent, whereby BIS and BAS interact to influence reward mediated and punishment mediated behaviours. Based on Gray's model, this thesis tests whether opiate dependent individuals with heightened sensitivity to punishment are more likely to use anxiolytic drugs (such as benzodiazepines), and individuals with heightened reward sensitivity will show a preference for substances that have high reward potential (such as stimulants). At time one, the participant sample (N= 120) comprised 71 males (59%) and 49 females who were opioid dependent and recruitment took place over an eight-month period in two city opioid replacement clinics. A range of measures was administered to assess substance use, mood, anxiety and the personality dimensions of reward sensitivity and punishment sensitivity, with substance use again measured at three months. Results of the first study suggested that a large proportion of the variance was accounted for by personality within the models. A total of 98 participants (81%) participated in the 12-week follow-up study. Sensitivity to punishment and reward significantly predicted drug preference. Although psychopathology symptoms were not able to moderate the relationship between personality and drug use, anxiety symptoms negatively mediated the relationship between punishment sensitivity and anxiolytic use, whereby the relationship became non-significant. In contrast, sensitivity to reward remained the strongest predictor of amphetamine use over antisocial characteristics. Individual differences were not able to predict treatment retention nor susceptibility to relapse during a 12-week initiation to a MM programme.

<p>Syftet med studien var att genomföra en deskriptiv undersökning för att få kunskap om i vilken omfattning föräldrar med missbruksproblematik har deltagit i generella föräldrastödjande insatser och hur de uppfattat detta stöd. Ett delsyfte var att söka kunskap om huruvida dessa föräldrar har fått s.k. riktade föräldrastödjande insatser. Studien har genomförts med kvalitativa intervjuer, sju respondentintervjuer och åtta informantintervjuer. Studiens resultat påvisar att föräldrar med missbruksproblematik i mycket liten utsträckning utnyttjat de generella former av föräldrastöd som kommuner och landsting erbjuder. Enligt studiens resultat beror detta till stor del dels på att föräldrarna inte upplever att barnmorskorna och sköterskorna tagit deras situation på allvar och intresserat sig för den, dels att föräldrarna känt ett utanförskap i förhållande till andra föräldrar. När det gäller riktade stödinsatser, visar resultatet att föräldrarna inte erbjudits stöd i föräldrarollen riktat till dem som personer. Dessutom kan utrönas genom informantintervjuerna att det inte förekommer riktade stödinsatser till denna grupp av föräldrar.</p> / <p>The aim of this study was to do a descriptive study in order to receive knowledge about to what extent parents with a drug addiction have participated in general parental support programs and how they have experienced the support. A part of the purpose of the study was to seek knowledge about whether these parents have been offered special support. The study has been done with qualitative interviews, seven respondent interviews and eight informant interviews. The result of the study shows that parents with a drug addiction in a very low extent have participated in the general parental support programs offered by the local authorities and the county council. According to the results of this study, this is due partly to the fact that the parents feel that the midwives and nurses have not been interested in their situation or taken it seriously, partly also because they feel outside in relation to other parents. When it comes to special support, the result shows that the parents have not been offered parental support directed to them as persons. The informant interviews also show that there is no special support directed to this group of parents.</p>