Addressing the spiritual needs of a drug user living with human immunodeficiency virus: a case study.
OBJECTIVE
To describe an application of Spiritual Self-Schema Therapy (3-S) with a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seropositive, injection drug-using individual.


METHODS
3-S is a structured and readily administered therapy for integrating a spiritual dimension into addiction treatments for HIV-positive drug users. It posits the existence of many potential "selves," salient among which are the "addict" self and the "spiritual" self. The central strategy of 3-S is to "deactivate" the addict self and "activate" the spiritual self. Techniques to achieve this shift are discussed.


RESULTS
Over the course of treatment, this patient was able to use 3-S therapy to shift her dominant sense of self from that of an addict to a spiritual person and reported that this increased feelings of hope and the sense of control.


CONCLUSIONS
A spiritually based therapy appears to help injection drug users with HIV infection and warrants further investigation.
Marcotte
David
D
Department of Psychiatry, Division of Substance Abuse, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA. david.marcotte@yale.edu
Margolin
Arthur
A
Avants
S Kelly
SK
D000328:Adult; D000739:Anecdotes as Topic; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012928:Social Desirability; D029181:Spirituality; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors