Existential-phenomenological Analysis of Withdrawal from Substance Abuse in the Experience of Individual

The relevance of this study is determined by the insufficient study of the phenomenological experiences of drug withdrawal, as well as by the practically significant need to identify and specify the attitudes, values, and actions that help a person addicted to drugs not to use them for a long period of time. Obtaining this information can help both professionals working with this problem and people who are addicted to drugs and want to stop using them. In the present work, 7 semi-structured interviews were conducted with people who had given up drugs and had not used them for more than 3 years. The age range is from 26 to 53 years. Duration of use ranges from 1 to 25 years. The length of the withdrawal period ranged from 3 years to 21 years. In this study we were interested in addiction to drugs and alcohol (from the numerous group of surfactants) due to the fact that these substances cause the strongest psychodynamic impulse (acting strongly on dopamine receptors), which is more difficult to cope with. We wanted to find out how, despite this, people still refused to use them. As a result of the study, the co-investigators' experiences that relate to the context of addiction according to the biopsychosocial model and existential analysis theory were identified; 4 stages of withdrawal were identified; the changes that occurred with the informants in the process of withdrawal from substance use, affecting all spheres of life, were studied; the co-investigators' recommendations for self-help in withdrawal were highlighted, and the receipt of psychological help was analysed.