Abstract : Substance dependence, like eating disorders, can be seen as a means whereby individuals attempt to satisfy their most intimate needs by themselves. Paradoxically, dependence then appears as a consequence of a frantic pursuit of...
moreAbstract : Substance dependence, like eating disorders, can be seen as a means whereby individuals attempt to satisfy their most intimate needs by themselves. Paradoxically, dependence then appears as a consequence of a frantic pursuit of independence from others, thesubstance in question being a substitute through which individuals attempt to wean themselves off from relationships. Instead of trying to become autonomous from the family context that met their initial needs by developing other types of intimate relationships, they remain tangled up in a « nurturing » logic : addiction corresponds to an unrelenting refusal to be « nourished » by anyone but oneself. This situation is reinforced when, as a result of historical contexts of cultural domination, parents are themselves dependent on welfare.
Australian Aboriginal people make up a case among others.
