The Therapeutic Community Revisited

During the past few years a number of significant changes have taken place in the therapeutic community environment. In the early days, both the philos1ophy and the treatment techniques of addict resident communities were rather primitive. These communities were set up to provide a treatment modality that, it was hoped, would bring about change in the life-style of the addict. Since the professionals had given up treating the addicted, the paraprofessionals had to come forward to fill the vacuum.Initially, the major treatment technique was the encounter. Rigid rules were established within the treatment modality. Stress-inducing situations, such as enforced haircuts, were utilized; ego-shaming devices were employed; and close attention to the minutia of daily behavior was considered essential to ultimate personality change. A fresh look at today's therapeutic community indicates that many factors have changed and that a closer examination of the present picture is in order.