ABSTRACT
The paucity of information, however, about the details of the deaddicting mechanisms is emphasized by G. E. Vaillant in his review of Leon Brill’s book,The De-Addiction Process. The fact that the addictive disorder has its onset during their adolescent or juvenile years and for many of these may be self-limiting with the onset of middle age suggests that a gradual and significant change takes place in the dynamics of the disorder. Control is important in the clinical management of the addict, not only to prevent self-destruction but also to overcome the sociopath’s fear of intimacy. Brill examined the deaddiction process in detail in a study of ex-addicts, who had been participants either in treatment programs or who had not had any specific treatment but had managed to become abstinent. Many psychiatrists consider group psychotherapy the treatment of choice for the personality disorder; its usefulness in assisting the youthful addict is an area of particular value.
