Social Inclusion of Recovering Addictive Persons

Abstract

Recovering addicts often face difficulties with social inclusion after completing rehabilitation programmes. This paper asks how recovering addicts who have completed rehabilitation 1–3 months earlier put into practice the skills learned in rehabilitation and the possible adaptation schemes transmitted. Empirical findings reveal that primary social inclusion strategies are mostly based on perceptions and skills learned during rehabilitation. However, the implementation of such strategies is influenced by individual circumstances, so that the social inclusion strategies emphasised in rehabilitation are often complemented by adaptive aspects dictated by personal insights. The text is based on ethnographic research conducted in one of the Lithuanian rehabilitation institutions for addicted persons, which was gathered using participant observation, informal interviews and semi-structured interviews.