THESIS PROPOSAL:

The point of departure for my thesis stems not from a particular area of interest as much as from a personal disaffection with today's societal predicament. Substance dependence is commonly perceived as a stigmatized disease, and a substance abuser as having the stereotyped image of a junky. Yet, many fail to realize that drug use (which could later lead to drug abuse) is fundamentally a by-product of the quick-fix approach to patching problems, which predominates especially in our North American society. Our consumer society advocates and advertises the temporary relief of prescription drugs, equating their sedating and numbing effects to the results of a longer therapeutic process which, instead, treats the root of the problem. Every symptom is evidence of a larger cause; the former approach targets the symptom while the latter the cause. While I do not propose to transform some of the overriding forces and mainstream attitudes in our North American society, my critical stance should be noted.

My proposal, instead, provides remedy for the impaired, the chronically addicted, the "poor in spirit", the hopeless...through a therapeutic healing process. Hence, I propose to design a substance dependence recovery centre. As my thesis is essentially a treatment centre, it thus calls for a re-grounding, a re-juvenation, a re-birth, and an ultimate re-integration into society. My premise revolves around the "latter" approach.       Image: Zumthor Studio

Addiction is a deeply rooted disease. The clinical therapy of bodily cleansing, known as detoxification, forms only one minor aspect of its overall treatment process. The psychological treatment and counseling sessions, thereafter, are the only means of ensuring a healthy recovery and, even then, relapse is likely to take place. In fact, Barry Salis, director of Community Education for the non-profit Project Pride drug crisis centre and an ex-addict himself, admittedly states that substance dependence is a life long disease, and that recovery rates remain low. Hence, the object of my thesis is to allow patients to undergo a transitional, transformational, and hopefully irreversible process.

Background on drugs:

Today, the $500 billion illegal-drug industry is making drugs more accessible than ever: ¼ gram of cocaine gets sold for only $25.* Moreover, 80% of school children in Montreal use (not necessarily abuse) illegal substances.* In the words of Barry Salis, , "When you hear about a billion-dollar cocaine seizure, people should be asking themselves about how much of it is still out there."

Victims of Alcoholism and substance abuse are individuals who ultimately lose themselves if not treated and, while on their strayed track, pose a serious threat to society whether through burglary, prostitution, or crime. Around 80% of prisoners' misconduct is due to drugs.* Numerous factors contribute to eventual drug dependence, most of which are hardships encountered in life at the marital, family, business, and/or social levels. Humans are social creatures, and family is probably the most intimate manifestation of this phenomenon. If this relationship is skewed, the effects can be detrimental. Such cases exist when there is a lack of family ties, or the individual is raised in an environment where substance abuse is prevalent (when someone is socialized into heavy drinking for example. Another factor is genetics; around 50% of alcoholics have been encouraged in that direction due to this genetic factor.

Notwithstanding, it remains true that the media and entertainment industries are primary factors in promoting images of violence, pornography, excessive drinking, and even drug abuse, rendering such practices acceptable, let alone heroic or "cool". In light of the above background, it becomes imperative, if su

ch individuals are to receive a rooted treatment, that the underlying causes of their disease are understood.