According to the disease and adaptive models of addiction, substance abuse has been linked to, among others, feelings of hopelessness and isolation. Addicts often continue their use of drugs to avoid such feelings contributing to a lessening of responsibility for their lives and an
increased dependency. It has also been found that addicts are discouraged from beginning or completing treatment due to fears of personal failure.
To focus on this specific issue, a non-profit organization may be introduced which provides individuals undergoing treatment responsibility of regular care for a small animal. Combining treatment programs with a delegation of responsibility, such as caring for a pet, may be a means of inspiring feelings of personal accomplishment and success in making a positive difference. Through guidance these can help build confidence in the participant to then transform this to make positive changes in their own lives. This confidence and accomplishment may be used as a catalyst for succeeding in treatment and overcoming the addiction.
This specific non-profit would benefit from aligning with the BCSPCA or other animal care and shelter groups in the greater Vancouver area to bring in participants on a regular basis. The organization would be quite small and require minimal funding. There would likely be only a few paid employees responsible for the core responsibilities and a volunteer base.
Following the successes and progress of participants in their treatment programs would assess the transformative potential of this venture. This is clearly not a solution for solving addiction on large scale, however, it may be useful in transforming the confidence and personal outlook of a concentrated number of addicts in the DTES. If participants are selected based on the most need for this type of program (such as individuals who have not seen success in treatments prior), then this program may prove to have a substantial impact in their lives regarding their addictions.
This type of non-profit program is fairly limited in its scale for addressing such a large issue, but may have the potential to inspire changes in a small number of participants. Measures would also need to be in place to ensure that this program would not have ultimately negative impacts on the animals that are involved and this would depend on the discretion of the animal group partners.
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