Utilizing psychoanalytic psychotherapy in the treatment of substance abusers.

The traditional treatment of substance abuse based on the medical disease model has neglected psychological approaches to substance abuse, partly influenced by misconceptions regarding therapy. Other forms of treatment such as Cognitive-Behavioural, Motivation Enhancement, and Transtheoretical Models have also been recently utilized. While these approaches have been effective for many individuals, they are not typically guided by a psychodynamic understanding of the individual nor do they address the interpersonal factors that influence psychotherapy. Psychoanalytic therapies do address these issues, although they have been an underutilized form of psychological treatment. The scope of this paper addresses how psychoanalytic models, that are not necessarily incompatible with other approaches may be utilized. Wurmser's Conflict Model and Khantzian's Self and Ego Deficit Model are discussed, and clinical case examples are provided to elucidate the application of psychoanalytic psychotherapy in practice. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]