Pathways: from the culture of addiction to the culture of recovery : a travel guide for addiction professions

986 Pages·1996·2.01 MB·English

by  William L. White

Pathways : From the Culture of Addiction to
title: the Culture of Recovery : a Travel Guide for
Addiction Professions
author: White, William L.
publisher: Hazelden Publishing
isbn10 | asin: 1568381239
print isbn13: 9781568381237
ebook isbn13: 9780585126258
language: English
Substance abuse--Treatment--Social
subject
aspects, Substance abuse--Social aspects.
publication date: 1996
lcc: RC564.W53 1996eb
ddc: 616.86
Substance abuse--Treatment--Social
subject:
aspects, Substance abuse--Social aspects.
Page iii
Pathways from the Culture of Addiction to the
Culture of Recovery
A Travel Guide for Addiction Professionals
Second Edition
William L. White
HAZELDEN®
Hazelden
Center City, Minnesota 55012-0176
ã1990, 1996 by William L. White
All rights reserved. Second edition published by Hazelden 1996
First edition published 1990 by Lighthouse Training Institute
Printed in the United States of America
The Self-Assessment Instrument in appendix A
may be reproduced for therapeutic use
No other portion of this publication may be
reproduced in any manner without the
written permission of the publisher
02 01 00 99 98 97 96 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
White, William L., 1947-
Pathways : from the culture of addiction to the culture of recovery: a
travel guide for addiction professions / William L. White.2nd ed.
p. cm.
Rev. ed. of: The culture of addiction / William L. White. 1990.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-56838-123-9
1. Substance abuseTreatmentSocial aspects. 2. Substance abuse
Social aspects. I. White, William L., 1947Culture of addiction. II. Title.
RC564.W53 1996 96-2446
616.86dc20 CIP
Editor's Note
Hazelden offers a variety of information on chemical dependency and related
organization.
All the stories in this book are based on actual experiences. The names and details have been changed to protect the privacy of the people involved. In some cases, composites have been created.
The following publishers have generously given permission to use material from copyrighted works: "When One Is Too Many" written by Peter Alsop. Song taken from the recording
The following publishers have generously given permission to use material from copyrighted works: "When One Is Too Many" written by Peter Alsop. Song taken from the recording
ã1985 Moose School Music (BMI), contact [phone]. Moose School Records, Box 960, Topanga, CA 90290. From Joseph Campbell's
Reprinted by permission of Princeton University Press.
Page v
This book is dedicated to the alcoholics and addicts who have
touched my life over the past twenty-eight years. To those whose
discovery of freedom has brought me great joy and to those whose con-
tinued self-destruction has pained me deeply, you have been
my best teachers.
Page vi
Hazelden Publishing and Education is a division of the Hazelden
Foundation, a not-for-profit organization. Since 1949, Hazelden has
been a leader in promoting the dignity and treatment of people
afflicted with the disease of chemical dependency.
The mission of the foundation is to improve the quality of life for
individuals, families, and communities by providing a national
continuum of information, education, and recovery services that are
widely accessible; to advance the field through research and training;
and to improve our quality and effectiveness through continuous
improvement and innovation.
Stemming from that, the mission of the publishing division is to
provide quality information and support to people wherever they may
be in their personal journeyfrom education and early intervention,
through treatment and recovery, to personal and spiritual growth.
Although our treatment programs do not necessarily use everything
Hazelden publishes, our bibliotherapeutic materials support our
mission and the Twelve Step philosophy upon which it is based. We
encourage your comments and feedback.
The headquarters of the Hazelden Foundation is in Center City,
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For more information on Hazelden, please call 1-800-257-7800. Or
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http://www.Hazelden.org.

Page vii
CONTENTS
Dedication v
Preface xix
Acknowledgments xxi
Prologue xxiii
Part I
The Culture of Addiction
Chapter 1. 3
Cultural Aspects of Addiction
1.1 Pilgrims and Pathways 3
1.2 Culture of Addiction Defined 4
1.3 The "Species" of Addiction 6
1.4 Culture as an Initiating Force 8
1.5 Culture as a Sustaining Force 9
1.6 Styles and Intensity of Cultural Involvement 10
1.7 The Acultural Addict 10
1.8 The Culturally Enmeshed Addict 12
1.9 The Bicultural Addict 14
Chapter 2. 17
Organization of the Culture of Addiction
2.1 Tribal Networks 17
2.2 Tribal Selection Based on Drug Choice 18
Celebrated Drugs 19
Tolerated Drugs 19
Instrumental Drugs 19
Prohibited Drugs 20
2.3 The Celebrated Drug Tribes 21
2.4 The Instrumental Drug Tribes 24
2.5 The Tolerated Drug Tribes 27
2.6 The Prohibited Drug Tribes 28
Quality Control 29
Drug Dosage 29
Page viii
Screening Out High-Risk Users 30
Withholding Technology That Could Reduce Risks 30
2.7 Relationship to Other Deviant Cultures 32
Chapter 3. 35
The Psychosocial and Technical Functions of the Culture of
Addiction
3.1 Identity and Self-Esteem 36
3.2 Transforming Stigma to Status: Identity in the Illicit 39
Drug Culture
3.3 Adolescent Needs and the Culture of Addiction 41
3.4 How to Use 44
3.5 Learning to Experience the Drug 46
3.6 Skills to Sustain Addiction 47
Chapter 4. 51
Core Elements in the Culture of Addiction
4.1 Language 51
4.2 Religion, Morality, and Values 53
4.3 Symbols 56
4.4 Rituals 57
4.5 History and Mythology 59
4.6 Institutions (Places) 60
4.7 Dress/Appearance 61
4.8 Diet/Food 62