Content area
Full Text
ABSTRACT The current study aims to explore underlying personality characteristics of addicts and non-addicts examined by the Rorschach Inkblot test to differentiate between the two groups. 25 addicts were randomly selected and matched with an equal number of non -addicts. The subjects were contacted in Drug Treatment Centres, Hayat Shaheed Teaching Hospital, Govt Lady Reading Hospital and Dost Welfare Foundation (NGO), Peshawar, Pakistan. A semi-structured interview was used for the collection of demographics and drug related information. Rorschach Inkblot test was administered on the subjects and their responses for each card were recorded in their protocols and scored. A descriptive analysis was carried out for the Rorschach findings and tabulated. The results indicated that the addicts showed distinctive underlying personality characteristics compared to their counterparts. It is concluded that these personality aspects should be considered in the formulation of and during the course of treatment.
It recommends a reatment strategy based on operant conditioning to avoid highly cognitive demand treatment strategy at the initial phase to minimize relapse.
INTRODUCTION Addiction is a global problem, reducing social and human resources in different parts of the world. It is not confined to certain social strata but appears to affect all levels of society. Drug abuse is a serious problem in Pakistan, and there is a tremendous increase in the addiction population since the early eighties; it has now reached an alarming situation and has become a public health issue. It is estimated that there are 4 million addicts in Pakistan with appalling figures of injectable drug users (Anti Narcotics Force Islamabad, 2006). It is a serious as well as a complex problem. In addition to its direct effect on health, its impact is also associated with other problems both psychological and social; it produces personality changes that affect not only the addicts but also those around them and the community at large. In spite of the terrible consequences, people are abusing drugs to escape from unpleasant experiences.
Many factors are considered responsible for this high-priced habit: health, social, personal, and psychological issues. The causes range from pharmacological to environmental, social, and psychological. However, personality characteristics are viewed as significant indicators and are pivotal to understanding the underlying structure of personality which distinguishes addicts from non-addicts. This...