Some Characteristics of an Ex‐Addict Self‐Help Therapeutic Community and its Members

Abstract

Summary People who joined Matrix House, an autonomous self‐help group at the Lexington, Kentucky, Federal Narcotics Hospital, tended to be dissimilar to a white “street” addict on a number of variables. Proportionately, they came from a higher socio‐economic background; they were more often young, white, and single males; they were inclined toward “less complicated” kinds of crime while on the streets; they were less criminally oriented in that they had fewer arrests and spent less time incarcerated; they had somewhat shorter addiction careers; and finally they abused different types of drugs, primarily psychedelics. Overall, the Stayers seemed to differ from a sample of 267 STs (other Lexington patients) and the Leavers were more similar to the STs, which may partially account for the fact they left Matrix House. The main point derived from this study is that Matrix House, as a self‐help modality which could have drawn its members from a fairly representative population of narcotics addicts, attracted only a certain type, as indicated above. It tended to choose people who had similar characteristics, or perhaps conversely, only a certain type of individual chose this self‐help modality. Unfortunately, whatever the characteristics of an individual who entered this treatment modality, on the average he only remained a short five months.

An Evaluation of a Therapeutic Community for Former Drug Users

“…Such relationships have been demonstrated in other follow-up studies. In particular the results from American Concept houses show that these houses are of greatest benefit to those with some social or educational advantages over their drug using peers (Collier 1973, Weppner 1973.…”

Family Background and Personal Trauma among Drug Addicts in the United States: Implications for Treatment

“…The constituency of therapeutic communities tends to be more white, more middle class and younger in age than those in Methadone Maintenance treatment programs (Waggoner, 1971;CoUier, 1972;McKee, 1972;Weppner, 1973). Even Daytop, which has a large proportion of blacks (46%) for a therapeutic community, reports:…”

“…Therapeutic communities, on the other hand, seem to be filled mostly with addicts from middle class backgrounds (Collier, 1972;McKee, 1972;and Weppner, 1973).…”

“…There are several detailed studies of the most prominent of the therapeutic communities, Synanon (Yablonsky, 1962(Yablonsky, , 1965Casriel, 1963;and Sabath, 1967). A few therapeutic communities other than Synanon have also received some attention in the literature (Biase, 1970, Shelly and Bassin, 1965, and Weppner 1973. A comprehensive overview of non-addict therapeutic communities is provided by Almond, 1971.…”