Alcoholism is a widespread and complex phenomenon in our society, affecting both the individual and those closest to them. There are also different ways of dealing with it. The thesis explores the experience of the members of the Vipava Valley Abstinent Society in dealing with
addiction. I chose this topic because of my own interest in this field and my experience in practice. The aim of the thesis was to obtain information about the reasons why individuals seek
help and what factors contribute to successful alcohol addiction management. I wanted to find out what individuals perceived as relevant aspects in the work of the Vipava Valley Abstinent
Society and what still needed to be improved. I also wanted to explore the general knowledge of the different services that provide help in addiction management. One of the main purposes
of the research was also to relate the information gathered to social work and to explore how social workers can become more involved in this field and become more recognised as a
competent profession in addiction work. The research consists of a theoretical introduction and a research part. In the theoretical introduction, I first define alcoholism and its causes and
consequences. I then clarify the use of the terms addiction and dependence, which are used synonymously in the addiction literature, although they are not. I then present the decision-making process for regulating addiction and the different options for regulating it in Slovenia.
The next section focuses on abstinence and the factors that contribute to its maintenance. Next, I describe two other important topics related to addiction regulation - relapse and stigma.
Finally, I focus on social work in the field of addiction, in which areas we as social workers can work and what our role is in the addiction management process. In my research I interviewed
members of the Vipava Valley Abstinent Society to explore their experience of addiction management. The research I conducted is qualitative, experiential, applied and explorative. I
used questioning as a method of data collection. The data was collected through a semi-standardised interview, using the interview guidelines as the measuring instrument. The
population of the study consisted of members of the Vipava Valley Abstinent Society. The sample was non-randomised, convenience-based with 8 members of the association
participating with me. I processed and analysed the data in a qualitative way. I made a transcript, followed by open, axial and relational coding. I also linked the key findings of the research to
relevant theory. The results of the research showed that individuals choose to manage their addictions after having problems for several years, partly because alcoholism is still widely
accepted in society. I found that the traditional medical psychiatric model of addiction management still prevails and that social work has almost no role to play in this field and is not
even seen as a profession that can work in the field of addiction management. However, this way of managing addiction has proved to be successful and positively evaluated. The survey
also provided me with information on the knowledge of the services that offer help in the field of addiction management. The latter turned out to be rather general, as most of the interviewees
were only familiar with the classic forms of help such as psychiatric hospitals, clubs for recovering alcoholics and Alcoholics Anonymous. The data showed that one of the key factors
for successful abstinence is the third phase, which includes clubs for recovering alcoholics, or in my case, the Vipava Valley Abstinent Society. In addition to the association itself, the family,
their support, structured and filled time, and the individual making the decision to abstain on his/her own, play an important role in maintaining abstinence. On the basis of the above, my
proposals are aimed at maintaining the current way of managing addiction, with an emphasis on the third phase. For less recognised services, organisations, associations, I suggest more
publicity through posters or social networks. The proposals also focus on more awareness raising among young people to identify addiction more quickly. Social work should play a
greater role in the addiction management process, as it can use its skills and knowledge to help individuals through all stages of addiction management.
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