Galios santykiai ir religinės praktikos reabilitacijos institucijoje: priklausomų asmenų identiteto kaita

LTPriklausomybių paplitimas skatina reaguoti į dažną priklausomų asmenų marginalizavimą. Atmetimas ir kitos patirtys konstruoja priklausomų asmenų kaip grupės identitetą, egzistuoja ir priklausomų asmenų kaip individų identitetas. Priklausomų asmenų reintegravimo į visuomenę sunkumai pagrįsti skirtumu tarp priklausomų ir kitų asmenų, todėl priklausomi asmenys įvairiais būdais skatina identiteto kaitą. Straipsnyje siekiama atskleisti, kokiais priklausomų asmenų reabilitacijos institucijoje taikomais mechanizmais siekiama transformacijos: kaip dėl reabilitacijos metu naudojamų galios santykių ir religijos įtakos priklausomų asmenų identitetas kinta į sveikstančių priklausomųjų identitetą. Straipsnyje remiamasi lauko tyrimo, atlikto 2018–2019 m. vienoje Lietuvos priklausomybių reabilitacijos įstaigų, duomenimis. Raktiniai žodžiai: priklausomybė, galios santykiai, simbolinė galia, priklausomi asmenys, sveikstančių priklausomųjų identitetas. [Iš leidinio]

ENAddictions are becoming part of life: the concept of addiction is changing, the list is expanding, and the number of people related to addictions is increasing. An addictive syndrome is a mental illness that is characterised by changes in the central nervous system that result in the strong urge to use psychoactive substances, but the possibilities to control this desire are inadequate. Alcohol, narcotics and gambling addictions are considered the most dangerous, and are often associated with the marginalisation of addicts, finding themselves outside the borders of functioning society, and with limited opportunities for their effective reintegration into society. Dependents as a group share a collective identity: research data has revealed that addicts’ identity is characterised by their perception of themselves as ‘other’, an anonymous aspiration to conceal their dependency, solidarity with other dependents, and the concept of addiction as an insurmountable problem. The perception of themselves as others determines the distinction between dependent and independent people: dependent people very clearly construct the difference between us and them, sick and healthy, abnormal and normal, dependent and independent. The lives of independents are almost always portrayed as much better, more normal, so the otherness determined by addiction promotes anonymity. Dependency concealment (for example, masking injection scars) is intended to prevent independent individuals from learning about exclusivity, and is intended to be potentially attached to the normal group. On the other hand, there is a great deal of solidarity with other dependent participants in the research: participants in rehabilitation identify with each other not because they sympathise with each other, but because they can relate to each other’s experiences.For addicts themselves, addiction means balancing on the verge, a perception of being at risk. The identity of informants as addicts is constructed through the interaction of personal experiences and public attitudes toward addiction; therefore, the rehabilitation process for dependent people is characterised by a desire to transform a person’s identity. Identity change is pursued through two key levers: power relations and symbolic power. The rehabilitation institution becomes a power institution that determines the development and quality of life of a dependent person: this situation creates power relations between the organisers of recovery and the dependent. Because the purpose of rehabilitation is to recover and return to a ‘healthy’ person status, control is an opportunity to ensure a quality healing process. In a rehabilitation institution, power relationships operate in eight major areas of life of the participants in treatment programmes: this is expressed through the control of space, time, activity, thinking, behaviour, relationships, recovery, and by living together. Control mechanisms in a rehabilitation institution guarantee the functioning of institutional power, which is used to isolate rehabilitants from normal life patterns, and to encourage the choice of a sober life assurance scheme, and enables the way of external change. Religion is integrated into the recovery process by ensuring that religious practices are anchored in the daily routine of the community, and it is given symbolic power in a rehabilitation institution. It is used for the recovery process: research data shows that religious practice contributes to a shift in thinking. During rehabilitation, many programme participants rethink their approach to addictive illness and recovery precisely because of the influence of religion.Faith becomes a way of coping with illness, its influence being realised not through coercion but through symbolic power. As the informants’ stories show, the change in personality and life result from the healing process. The identity of a recovering addict is characterised by the concept of addiction as a disease, and responsibility for their illness and seeking sobriety are associated with the impact of religion. During the recovery process, the concept of addiction changes to the perception of addiction as a part of life. Therefore, the self-perception and presentation of convalescent addicts is more concentrated on the situation of the disease, and the disease becomes the starting point for the self-concept. Informants identify three key factors that help them stay sober: the recovery programme, their relationships with loved ones and other recovering addicts, and God. Some participants in the study emphasise that it was religiosity, the reliance on God and his help, that gave up the illusion of omnipotence, the need to control one’s life. The research data suggests that a change in the concept of addiction also presupposes an addict’s attitude: some informants argue that the relationship changes from struggling, resisting, denying and perceiving addiction as a serious struggle to the humble acceptance of the illness, the acceptance of the reality of the illness. The outcome of the rehabilitation process often changes a rejected person-informant’s self-knowledge and education: they start learning to accept and love themselves. [...] Key words: addiction, power relations, symbolic power, addicts, the identity of recovering addicts. [From the publication]