Reasons behind Greek problem drug users' decisions to quit using drugs and engage in treatment of their own volition: sense of self and the Greek filotimo

Abstract

Aims  The aim of this study was to explore Greek problem drug users' perceptions of the reasons that led them to quit using drugs and engage in treatment of their own volition.  Design  Qualitative semi-structured in-depth interviews.  Setting  Two state drug agencies in Thessaloniki, Greece.  Participants  A total of 40 adult problem drug-using men and women participated in the study.  Measurements  Participants were asked to reflect on their decisions to wean themselves from drugs and enter treatment.  Findings  Participants reported that their decisions centred on the re-conceptualization of the drug-using community and their membership in it, the desire to restore aspects of identities that were deemed to be spoiled, and finally memories of their drug-free selves. The importance of the distinctively Greek notion of filotimo in this discussion is highlighted.  Conclusions  Primarily in relation to filotimo (a concept that represents a complex array of virtues that regulates behaviour towards one's family), the desire to restore one's spoiled identity plays a pivotal role in Greek problem drug users' decisions to cease drug use and engage in treatment.