With occupational therapy, love and community living, drug addicts overcome their problem

Folha Espírita – November 1975

Marlene R. Severino Nobre

A Major Rehabilitation Project in Itapecerica

The National Congress of Pediatrics, held last month in São Paulo, dedicated part of its agenda to the issue of drugs, studying it from multiple perspectives, especially because young people are the main victims of its corrosive and destructive power.  A nation will succumb to the pernicious anemia that drains the generous blood of its youth.  And drugs, with their seductive tentacles, are the agent of this relentless disease.  Government experts consider the support of teachers to be fundamental in the campaign to inform children about the dangers of drugs.  According to recent studies, such educational action with children aged five to eleven would have significant impact in preventing addiction.

In a study of 1,000 drug-addicted patients, Professor Emílio Astolfi, from the University of Buenos Aires, found that, without exception, all of them had faced psychological and family problems.  Economic issues, the radical changes the world is undergoing very fast, the escape from reality, and especially idleness are pointed out as determining causes of drug addiction.

After learning from Elsie Dubugras’s report about innovative drug rehabilitation at the Nosso Lar Center for Human Relations near São Paulo, we visited them to gather further details for our readers.  Located at kilometer 35 of the BR 116 highway, the main building resembles more a country residence in colonial style, rather than a rehabilitation facility.  The center spans seven alqueires (42 acres) atop a hill, offering a beautiful view of the valley.  Its tranquil setting supports detoxification, with opportunities for hiking, animal care, farming, sports, and reading.

Batista Franco Rodrigues directs the Center, leading a skilled team using innovative methods in drug rehabilitation.  He provided information about the institution’s work.

Addicts seek recovery

“The Nosso Lar Center for Human Relations was founded to address a critical gap in drug addiction treatment and rehabilitation within Brazil.  Admission is reserved for individuals who are genuinely committed to overcoming dependency, as our facility operates with open access and there are no locks or bars.  Our therapeutic model is focused on empowering individuals to develop their own capacity for recovery, fostering self-reliance in managing and overcoming addiction.”

FE: Batista, based on your 21 years in toxicology, what are the main causes of drug addiction?

Batista: Idleness is the main issue—hence the saying, “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.”  Other causes include personality, family, and social factors.  Curiosity often leads people to experiment with drugs.  Those struggling with family issues, unemployment, or life’s challenges may use drugs as a way to escape reality, much like some turn to alcohol.

FE: Do you treat patients from across Brazil?

Batista: That’s correct.  Most addicts have been arriving from Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte.  However, recently we have also welcomed many patients from southern cities like Curitiba and Porto Alegre.

Refresh your mindset to better enjoy life

FE: Batista, could you please elaborate on the distinct aspects of the treatment you are developing here?

Batista: Our main focus is occupational therapy.  Unlike other clinics, we keep patients actively engaged through sports, agriculture, and creative activities, which are highly therapeutic.

FE: What factors do you regard as fundamental to the recovery process for individuals with substance use disorders?

Batista: I believe that changing behavior requires helping people reassess their principles and values.  It’s less about giving advice and more about encouraging deeper self-awareness.  It’s important for them to learn to use sex with balance and discretion as well.  Those in rehabilitation must understand that drugs prevent them from experiencing the best parts of life.  Individuals are encouraged to pursue genuine well-being by adopting healthy lifestyles, fostering family relationships, and appreciating everyday experiences.  Based on our observations, patients who focus on internal renewal and embrace new values often demonstrate considerable progress in a short time.

FE: And do you have a good percentage of young people who accept Spiritism?

Batista: Fortunately, yes.  I share in the joy of our young people who are always discovering new lessons in Spiritist books.  Our happiness is immense when we see that many of them, until recently, were living on the worst paths of addiction, often in the underworld of crime, and today are opening their minds to a new life.

• Media influence
• Greed for money
• Lack of faith

FE: In your opinion, what is the cause of the constant increase in drug use around the world?

Batista: Many specialists claim that one of the causes for this increase is the advertising of medications by the media, for example, television.  If you have a problem, don’t wait even another minute, go to the nearest pharmacy, and solve that problem, take something.  There is condemnation of this kind of advertising in the United States.  Another factor is the action of traffickers, their insatiable greed for money.  Finally, the prevailing materialism of today.  Most religions are no longer satisfying; they have not managed to keep up with the evolution of the times.  The Spiritist Doctrine is still practiced by a minority, so we do not have its valuable contribution to the renewal of all ideas, restoring the true conception of God.

FE: Batista, you mentioned occupational therapy.  Is there a specific program for each case? And what about the psychiatrist—how does he act?

Batista: Our psychiatrist is very open to adopting different treatment approaches and always works in agreement with the two occupational therapists, seeking to develop plans tailored to each case.

FE: How long does it usually take to recover a patient?

Batista: It varies significantly from one case to another.  But most of the time, problems related to drug use are not solved quickly.  Normally it takes a few months.  Some patients stay here for about eight, ten months, a year or even more.

Death on any corner

FE: In your opinion, what is the ideal anti-drug campaign?

Batista: I think we should face the facts without subterfuge.  In the past, we treated sex as a real taboo, and today we do the same with drugs.  We should present three predominant factors to the public, warning young people about the dark path they will have to walk if they fall to drug use:

1. The path to prison.  Sooner or later, the addict is caught in the act and brought before the justice system, where he will be convicted.
2. The psychiatric sanatorium. The drug attacks the nerve cells irreversibly, causing mental disorders.
3. Death.  The information that shows the negative side of the drug must include this reality: death on any street corner at the hands of a trafficker or a criminal.

A psychologically well-structured campaign that reveals the terrible side of the disease would yield very good results.  I believe that no magazine, newspaper, or any media outlet should irresponsibly refer to fantasies, suggesting that drugs can take someone to the clouds, to new heights, etc.  We are even preparing a group of young former addicts to give their testimonies. Such testimony is very valuable.

Responsibility always

FE: No doubt about it.  Batista, please explain how a mother should handle a difficult family situation like this.

Batista: Families should encourage the child to accept responsibility, rather than cover up the issue. Delaying change by making excuses for drug use is ineffective; true motivation, as demonstrated in Alcoholics Anonymous cases, needs to originate from within the individual.  Families should suggest clear options: joining a therapeutic community or hospital admission. Prompt action is always necessary.

***

Final Reflection

At the end of the interview, I remembered my children playing in the park.  They are growing up too.  From everything we learned at the Nosso Lar Community, one thing became very clear: we must set a path of work and discipline, charity, and faith for our children while there is still time.

Psychiatrist Alberto Lyra’s opinion on the Nosso Lar Center

The Nosso Lar Center for Human Relations provides comprehensive resources for effective drug addiction treatment.  Patients benefit not only from compassionate care but also acquire valuable experience through group work.  Group work at Nosso Lar gives participants a sense of purpose and helps them develop new perspectives, leading to significant changes in their outlook and habits.  This is truly important, because there are two things an individual needs to become a truly useful citizen for their country and for humanity: to receive love so they can give love, and to have a social ideal.

All of these opportunities are available at Nosso Lar.  An individual’s personality undergoes a substantial transformation as his perspective shifts; moving from self-centeredness and feelings of inferiority with tendencies toward substance abuse, the patient will broaden his outlook and engage more fully in life, focusing his efforts on contributing to humanity and supporting others.

I’m a friend and admirer of Batista, having followed his journey from the start.  The project’s team adds significant value to his work.