Adam and Paul, directed by Larry Abrahamson, is a movie set in contemporary Dublin, Ireland, and delivers the story of two wretched and hapless heroin addicts as they try to make it through a day that is filled with vicious drugs, petty crime, and the desperate and endless search for their next fix. The movie shows a concise picture of Dublin’s rampant drug problem. It aptly shows the effects addiction can have on the individual and those close to them. Drug addiction is a chronic disorder in which drug-seeking and drug-taking become compulsive behavior that persists despite the serious and negative consequences. (Camí, et al. 2003). Addictive Substances relieve stress or create a pleasant state of euphoria for the individual. Persistent use can cause adaptive changes in the central nervous system that result in physical dependence, tolerance, craving, sensitization, and relapse.
Highly addictive drugs include opioids, ethanol, cannabis, cocaine, nicotine, and amphetamines (Camí, et al. 2003). Heroin is the most commonly misused of the opiate group of drugs. Opioids interact with opioid receptors in the brain and produce several responses in the individual body; feelings such as relaxation, pain relief, contentment, and pleasure (Bennet, 2011). A person’s identity is complex. It is composed of how you view yourself, how others see you, what is there regardless of what you or others see, and what nobody else can see (Martin, et al. 2010) This sense of identity can become clouded with the introduction of excessive quantities of drugs or alcohol. Firstly, the severe effects of drugs will distort short-term memories of both your feelings and actions. This contributes to the part you don’t know clearly about yourself. Personal growth and maturity are also parts of your identity. This involves holding certain beliefs and ideas, giving up some of them, and embracing new ones. This usually involves suffering, stress, emotional pain, and even confusion.
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Alcohol and drugs disrupt your emotions and cloud these experiences. As a result, your ability to have self-worth and self-understanding is reduced (Martin, et al. 2010) A person with a drug or alcohol addiction may be experiencing great emptiness in their lives. More times than not, this is why they begin using alcohol or drugs excessively. Individuals may have felt they needed to block their emotions and self-understanding as a child or young adult. Divorce, mentally ill parents, sexual abuse, and family chaos are just some of the reasons their process of self may have been disrupted. When this pain becomes too excessive, they may use drugs and alcohol to cover up their pain. Resulting in their identity becoming blocked and disrupted for a long period. Therefore, drug or alcohol use becomes the most apparent element of their identity (Martin, et al. 2010).
Treatment for drug use can help individuals learn about themselves with the support of other recovering addicts and professionals. When addicts identify that their drug addiction has taken over their lives, they can begin to get their identity back by engaging in treatment. Person-centered therapy was originally developed in the 1930s by Dr. Carl Rogers. It has become one of the primary methods of addiction treatment (Passer, et al. 2009). It is a method that considers that all humans are inherently good and seek self-actualization. Self-actualization is one of the main ideas in client-centered therapy. It suggests that the human self has always sought to act dependably and honestly. However, Rogers believed that unhealthy thoughts and behaviors that result from human deficiencies, not human strength, can block and prohibit self-actualization. Person-centered therapy in addiction concentrates on the problem rather than the person, which enables development and growth in the individuals and leads them toward a process of self-discovery.
The process of the therapy is to increase the individual’s self-esteem and help clients become open-minded and better understand their real and perceived selves, while also reducing self-inflicted feelings of defensiveness, insecurity, and guilt (Passer, et al. 2009). Ineffective addiction treatment, person-centered therapy depend on congruence, unconditional positive regard, and empathy. Congruence involves those working with the clients displaying genuineness and being completely present to ensure a connection with the client. Unconditional positive regard allows clients to talk about their feelings and actions without judgment or question. This is particularly important in the case of recovery for drug addicts as the stigma attached to using drugs may prohibit many people from seeking help.
Empathy involves showing a client both emotion and sensitivity (Passer, et al. 2009). This particular type of intervention helps people change how they view themselves as they work towards improving their self-esteem and self-image. They must be open-minded and have the ability to cope with their feelings, thoughts, and motivations that may present themselves as they look into the causes of their addiction. Person-centered therapy provides a safe environment needed for the individual to be able to carry out this process and aid their recovery (Purton,2004). Methadone Maintenance Methadone is an opiate agonist. Methadone replacement is an approach that provides opiate users with an alternative drug that prevents the occurrence of withdrawal symptoms when opiates are not taken, without giving the high associated with the drug (Bennet, 2011). Methadone maintenance is used to prevent the risk of needle sharing and overdose and to help manage withdrawals when an individual begins to seek help for their addiction. Methadone may be prescribed for several months, during this time, it is anticipated that the individual will begin to stabilize their life and prepare for complete withdrawal from the drug. This particular intervention may be used in both in-patient and outpatient settings.
Many people choose to have this particular maintenance therapy for some time to improve their health and well-being. When they feel psychologically and physically better, they may choose to withdraw from the treatment (HSE,2018). Twelve-step Program/Narcotics Anonymous For some people, a twelve-step fellowship is another approach to aid their recovery. Narcotics Anonymous (NA) is a non-profit, international, community-based organization for recovering addicts. The primary function of NA is its confidence in the therapeutic value of addicts helping one another. It creates an environment for individuals to learn from one another how to live a drug-free life and to deal with the effects of addiction in their lives by working on a twelve-step program, which involves regular attendance at group meetings (Narcotic Anonymous Ireland, 2018). Members take part in meetings and share their experiences and their recovery from drug addiction. In the case of Adam and Paul, it was extremely evident in the film that they had become social outcasts and were completely alienated from their circle of friends. A program like NA would be extremely beneficial for meeting new people and gaining new experiences in sobriety. Individuals must be completely abstinent from all drugs, including alcohol. Therefore, NA is a good intervention when the individual has detoxed and interacted with other therapeutic interventions and begun to adapt to a drug-free life. National Drug Strategy Ireland launched its third national drug strategy in July 2017.
The strategy aims to reduce harm and support recovery by pursuing a health-led approach to drug use as opposed to a criminal justice approach. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar stated that treating drug addiction as a public health issue, rather than a criminal justice one will help individuals, their families, and communities. it will reduce the levels of crime as it will rebuild people’s lives. The strategy is underpinned by a set of core values – and is set around a vision and five goals. The goals include; promoting and protecting health and wellbeing; minimizing the harms caused by the use and misuse of substances and promoting rehabilitation and recovery; addressing the harms of drug markets and reducing access to drugs for harmful use; supporting the participation of individuals, families, and communities; and finally, develop comprehensive evidence–informed actions and policies. ‘Adam and Paul’ highlights a very real problem going on in Dublin every day with one of the protagonists dying of an overdose from heroin at the closing of the film. In Dublin, at least one person a day dies from a drug overdose, with opioids being one of the drugs most commonly associated with drug-induced deaths (Murtagh, 2018).
The national drug strategy works towards eradicating this crisis. One approach being implemented is the introduction of medically supervised injecting facilities in Dublin’s City Centre. Journalist for the Irish Times, Peter Murtagh writes that the injection sites will provide a safe and clean environment where people can inject drugs under the supervision of trained healthcare professionals. Addicts will be using illegal drugs they have attained elsewhere. However, under the provisions of the Misuse of Drugs Act, possession of drugs for use in injection facilities will not be prosecuted. The sale or supply of drugs will continue to be illegal inside and outside the facility (Murtagh, 2018). It is hoped that the facilities will reduce the spread of disease through needle sharing, and drug-related overdose deaths, reduce the number of needles in public areas, and create a link through which addicts begin to connect with health services (Murtagh, 2018). Conclusion ‘Adam and Paul’ offers a unique picture of drug addiction. Substance abuse is one of the strongest themes throughout the film. However, it also highlights Drug abuse has caused their friendships and relationships to break down, and as a result, leaves them relying on each other to survive.
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