Dilemmas of individualism: a societal context of drug use
This paper proposes a reflection on the society’s context – after postmodernism –, its founding values, such as individualism and the requirement of productivity, and the multiple social roles one is assigned to play (Taylor, C., 2002; Castel, R., 1995b,c). Drug use is directly bond to the individual’s social insertion, in support of the society’s heavy demands, or on the contrary, withdrawing, including overall disorganisation (Ehrenberg, A., Mignon, P. 1992). The long term social withdrawal being a potential danger towards society’s good functioning, the sanction, in the shape of marginalization and social exclusion, is considerable (Becker, H., 1985; Goffman, E., 1975). Within this context, when leaving drug addiction becomes more and more an established fact, i.e. the majority of the drug addicts recover a more productive position within the society (Castel, R., 1998a), in addition a big proportion among them without any professional help (Coppel, A., In Padieu, R. e.a., 1997; Mercier, In Commission sénatoriale Nolin, 2001), one has to admit that the addicted person is an actor acting on its trajectory (Crozier, M., Friedberg, E., 1977). This statement has fundamental implications for the position of both the client in treatment, and the clinician. A few fundamental issues at stake with regards to prevention and treatment are presented.