Motivations for the treatment of crack users in a therapeutic community

Abstract

Objective: To know the motivation of crack users for the treatment in internment environments. Method: This is a descriptive and qualitative research, which delineates a series of cases. 20 crack users of the male gender were interviewed, aged equal or over 18 years old, who were admitted in a Therapeutic Community in the South region of Brazil. A semi-structured interview script was used and the data were analyzed by means of thematic content analysis. Results: Three categories that reflect the motivations for treatment were found: "Perceiving the harmful consequences of the crack", "The compulsive use of drugs as a triggering factor of the treatment" and "Family participation in the search for treatment". Conclusion: Significant events (turning points) favored the cessation of the crack use and the family assumed a very important role in the behavior of individuals in relation to the exclusivity with the drug.