Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Preface xvi
About the Editors xviii
About the Contributors xix
1. F
rom Treatment Lore to Theory Application:
An Introduction to Addiction Theory and Practice 1
John R. Culbreth, Pamela S. Lassiter
Treatment Lore 2
Overview of Book Sections and Chapters 6
Addiction Counseling Case Study 10
Appendix: National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Counselors: Code of Ethics 13
2. H
istorical Perspectives and the Moral Model 27
Pamela S. Lassiter, Michael S. Spivey
Colonial Era (1492–1763) 27
American Revolution and Young Republic (1763–1820s) 28
Temperance Movement (1826–1919) 28
Prohibition (1919–1933) 31
World War II Era (1939–1945) 32
Nixon Era (1969–1974) 33
Carter Era (1977–1981) 34
Reagan Era (1981–1989) 35
The 1990s and 2000s 36
Cultural Views of Addiction 38
Basic Tenets of the Moral Model 39
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Theory 40
Influences on Social Policy 41
Influences on Clinicians 42
Case Study Responses 43
Summary 45
3. Biological Theory: Genetics and Brain Chemistry 47
Kathleen Brown-Rice, Regina R. Moro
Overview of Empirical Research Findings on the Addictive Process 47
Neurotransmitters 47
Brain Reward Pathway 48
Cycle of Addiction 49
Basic Tenets of the Theory 50
Philosophical Underpinnings and Key Concepts of the Theory 51
Dispositional Model 51
Neurobiological Model 52
Hijacked Brain Theory 53
Addictive Substances 53
Depressants 53
Stimulants 58
Latest Trends 60
Polysubstance Use 62
How the Theoretical Approach Is Used by Practitioners 62
Conceptualization 62
Psychoeducation 63
Assessment and Prevention Implications 65
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Theory 66
Strengths 66
Weaknesses 67
Case Study Responses 68
Summary 70
5. S
elf-Psychology Theory: Addiction and the Wounded Self 101
Joseph B. Cooper
Philosophical Underpinnings and Key Concepts of the Theory 102
Development of Self 102
Selfobject Needs 102
Transmuting Internalization 103
Development of Addictive Behavior 104
How the Theoretical Approach Is Used by Practitioners 106
Early Stage Treatment Issues 106
Individual Counseling 107
Development of New Psychic Structure 107
Group Counseling 107
Guidelines for Group 108
Assessment and Prevention Implications 109
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Theory 109
Case Study Responses 110
Internalization of Recovery 111
Shame 112
Affect Regulation 113
Empathic Attunement and Transmuting Internalization 113
Outcome 114
Summary 115
15. C
onstructivist Approaches to Addiction Counseling:
Feminist, Womanist, and Narrative Theories 299
Pamela S. Lassiter, Anneliese A. Singh, Taryne M. Mingo
Philosophical Underpinnings and Key Concepts of Feminist and Womanist
Theories 299
Feminist Theory 300
Womanist Theory 301
How the Theoretical Approach Is Used by Practitioners 303
Feminist Counseling Practices 303
Womanist Counseling Practices 304
Assessment and Prevention Implications 305
Feminist 305
Womanist 306
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Feminist and Womanist
Theories 307
Philosophical Underpinnings and Key Concepts of
Narrative Theory 308
Dominant Narratives 309
Goal of Narrative Counseling 309
How the Theoretical Approach Is Used by Practitioners 310
Externalizing Conversations 310
Deconstructive Listening 310
Unique Outcomes 311
Thickening the Plot and Spreading the News 312
Reflective Practices 313
Assessment and Prevention Implications of Narrative
Theory 313
Strengths and Weaknesses of Narrative Theory 314
Feminist Theory Case Study Response 314
Womanist Theory Case Study Response 315
Narrative Theory Case Study Response 317
Summary 318
Index 383
PREFACE
Nearly one in four Americans will face an addiction problem in their lifetime. This
widespread problem has reached alarming heights. Likewise, nearly all the clients a
professional counselor will serve have, in some way, been affected by addiction. Addiction
impacts families, the workplace, friendships, and nearly all aspects of daily living. Because
so many clients are impacted by addiction, all counselors, regardless of the setting, need to
have skills to work effectively with addiction issues.
Addiction is a multifaceted problem supported and maintained by interpersonal,
intrapersonal, social, psychological, spiritual, and biological factors. It is almost impossible
to effectively understand and treat addiction issues as an isolated problem because of the
complexity of its epistemology. For a given client, addiction may be a way of coping with
childhood trauma such as physical or sexual abuse (psychological factors), or it may be a way
of dealing with societal oppression and discrimination (sociological factors). Or biologically,
a client may be more likely to become addicted due to a genetic predisposition (biological
factors).
Effective counselors need a biopsychosocial perspective that examines and understands
addiction and its maintenance in the lives of clients as an interaction between complex
factors before they can prescribe appropriate treatment. A thorough understanding of
multiple approaches to theory and practice can prepare counselors to address individualized
issues that can enhance the likelihood of recovery and long-term relapse prevention.
Addiction counselors must understand the theoretical epistemology of addiction before
they can select the appropriate approach to treatment. Current theories such as medical,
psychological, sociological, and harm-reduction models all prescribe treatment in a different
way. The theory a counselor practices from will determine which type of treatment the client
receives. This book is intended to be a review of existing theories of addiction that then helps
counselors connect those theories to practice.
There are very few books related to addiction that focus solely on the theories of
addiction. To date, most of the textbooks for this area are more survey oriented. That is,
they provide a brief overview of typically four or five broad theoretical categories, such as
psychological, sociological, and medical models, and only briefly mention different aspects
of those theories in the chapter. They do not connect theory of addiction to practice. These
survey books then go on to provide an overview of assessment issues, family issues, and
12-step approaches, with one or two chapters focused on different treatment approaches or
issues. By contrast, when examining theory textbooks for the general counseling field, you
find that these texts are typically focused only on counseling theories. For addictions courses,
what has been lacking is a book that presents addiction theory as a focal point, similar to
counseling theory texts. Currently, professors teaching a theory course must put together a
collection of textbooks, book chapters, journal articles, and such to create a working group
of readings for students. This book provides all the information for an addiction theories
course in one location.
xvi
Preface • x v ii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We would first like to thank our editors, Abbie Rickard and Kassie Graves, who believed in
this project, saw its potential, and worked hard to help us succeed. Editing a textbook is a
difficult and time-consuming process. It could not have come to fruition without the help of
the whole production team at Sage. We would also like to thank all our contributing authors
for sharing their experience, knowledge, and wisdom in advancing the addiction counseling
profession. Finally, we would like to thank the following reviewers for their thoughtful
recommendations: Chaniece Winfield, Old Dominion University; Kathryn Dziekan, New
Mexico Highlands University; Lia Willis, Columbia College; Ozietta D. Taylor, Coppin
State University; Tiffany L. W. Bates, Louisiana Tech University; Tracy R. Whitaker, Howard
University School of Social Work; Nancy E. Sherman, Bradley University; Tammara P.
Thomas, Winston-Salem University; William J. Elenchin, St. Bonaventure University; An-
Pyng Sun, University of Nevada Las Vegas; Diane Michaelsen, Southern Connecticut State
University; and Jody Huntington, Regis University.
We would like to thank the mentors and teachers who have taught us about counseling
and working with addicted families. Many of them have gone now, but their words and
wisdom live on in us as counselors and counselor educators. Some, but certainly not all,
of these educators include Al Greene, Bette Ann Weinstein, Katherine Townsend, David
Powell, Bettie Dibrell, Patti Mitchell, and John Edwards. Their words reverberate in our
teaching and remind us every day how fortunate we were to have been their students.
ABOUT THE EDITORS
x v iii
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS
Dr. Kathleen Brown-Rice is a licensed professional counselor (SD, NE, and NC), licensed
mental health provider (NE), certified addiction counselor (SD), licensed clinical addiction
counselor (NC), qualified mental health provider (SD), approved clinical supervisor, and
national certified counselor. Her research efforts are on developing and enhancing ethical
and competent services to clients. She has completed several projects and published in the
area of risky substance use. To further understand emotional regulation, resilience, and
risky substance use, she also incorporates neural imaging and epigenetics into her research.
She has worked as a professional counselor in various clinical mental health and addiction
settings and continues to practice part-time.
Dr. Jana Burson earned a BS degree in zoology and microbiology from Ohio University in
Athens, Ohio, and got her medical degree from Ohio State University College of Medicine.
She completed a residency in internal medicine at Carolinas Medical Center and worked
for a decade in primary care. She became interested in addiction medicine in 2001 and has
worked full-time in this field since 2004. She is an active member of the American Society
of Addiction Medicine and is board certified by the American Board of Addiction Medicine.
Her special interest is treating opioid use disorder with medication-assisted therapies.
She won the Fredrick B. Glaser Award in 2015, awarded by the Governor’s Institute on
Substance Abuse, for outstanding work in the field of addiction medicine in the state of
North Carolina. When not at work, she enjoys hiking the Appalachian foothills with her
fiancé and her two dogs. She also relaxes by making quilts and weaving rugs.
Dr. Craig S. Cashwell is professor in the Department of Counseling and Educational Development
at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Dr. Cashwell focuses his scholarship on the
competent and ethical integration of spirituality and religion into the counseling process and
behavioral addictions. Dr. Cashwell maintains a part-time private practice focusing on couples
counseling and addictions counseling. He has received numerous awards for teaching, research,
and service. Dr. Cashwell is a fellow in the American Counseling Association and a past chair
of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
He has served as the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) Governing
Council representative to ACA and president of Chi Sigma Iota, the international honor society
for the counseling profession. He lives in Winston-Salem with his wife Dr. Tammy Cashwell,
who is also a counselor educator, and their daughter, Samantha.
xix
xx Theory and Practice of Addiction Counseling
Dr. Astra B. Czerny currently works as an assistant professor in the Community & Trauma
Counseling program at Philadelphia University. Her scholarly work reflects her interest
and passion in women’s issues and empowerment. Her clinical work is focused on trauma,
women’s issues, and addictions. In addition to teaching classes at PhilaU, Dr. Czerny
has a private practice in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, where she specializes in EMDR and
neurofeedback. In her spare time, Dr. Czerny enjoys crocheting millions of lace doilies, all
of which will be inherited by her loving children, much to their dismay.
Dr. Amanda L. Giordano, LPC, NCC, is an assistant professor at the University of North
Texas. She specializes in addictions counseling, including both substance and process
addictions and religious/spiritual issues in counseling. Giordano received the American
Counseling Association’s Ralph F. Berdie Memorial Award in recognition of her work with
collegiate substance abuse. She founded and cofacilitates an addictions counseling research
team in her department and serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Addiction and
Offender Counseling. Giordano is an avid fan of The Walking Dead.
Dr. Charles F. Gressard is a chancellor professor in the Counseling Program at the College
of William & Mary and is coordinator of the addictions specialty and faculty director of
the New Leaf Clinic. He received his PhD from the University of Iowa and has taught
at the University of Virginia and the College of William & Mary for the past 36 years.
He has served as chair of the Virginia Board of Counseling, chair of the National Board
for Certified Counselors, vice chair of CACREP, and chair of the Virginia Department
of Health Professions’ Impaired Professionals Committee. He currently chairs CACREP’s
International Registry for Counselor Education Programs (IRCEP). His licenses and
certifications include licensed professional counselor, licensed substance abuse treatment
professional (both in Virginia), national certified counselor, and master addiction counselor
certification. In 2007 he received the Virginia Summer Institute for Addiction Studies’
Visionary Leadership Award; in 2008 he received Chi Sigma Iota’s Thomas J. Sweeney
National Professional Leadership Award; and in 2009, along with the CACREP staff and the
other members of the 2009 Standards Revision Committee, he received the ACES Robert
O. Stripling Award for Excellence in Standards.
and their dog Duchess. He spends much of his free time reading, thinking about superheroes,
and watching movies.
Dr. Leigh F. Holman has worked as a mental health professional for more than 20 years
in private practice, hospitals, IOP, PHP, dual diagnosis units, impaired professionals units,
residential treatment, community agency, prison, and private practice settings. She has
taught for 10 years. Dr. Holman is licensed as a LPC-MHSP supervisor and certified as
a registered play therapy supervisor. She has earned the AMHCA diplomate credential in
substance abuse and co-occurring disorders, trauma counseling, and child and adolescent
counseling. She is the past president of IAAOC and was recognized as the Outstanding
Counseling Professional in 2013 for her contributions to the field of process addictions.
She conducts research in prison and community agency settings and has published and
presented nationally and internationally on addiction and offender topics.
Dr. Melanie M. Iarussi is an associate professor and the coordinator of the Counselor
Education Doctoral Program at Auburn University. She earned her PhD in counselor
education and supervision from Kent State University. Her clinical background is in
substance abuse counseling, college counseling, and private practice. She is a licensed
professional counselor and a certified substance abuse counselor. She is also a member of
the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers. Melanie’s research interests include
counselor training in substance use and addiction counseling, college student substance use
and recovery, and applications of motivational interviewing. Melanie enjoys life in Auburn
with her husband, two daughters, and black lab Angel.
Dr. Katie A. Lamberson received her master’s of rehabilitation counseling in 2010 and
worked for several years as a counselor for youth and families struggling with addiction.
She then went on to receive her doctorate in counseling and counselor education at the
University of North Carolina at Greensboro. In her current position, Katie teaches courses
for master’s students in the addictions track, as well as ethics in counseling and theories
of family counseling. Her area of research interest includes examining family dynamics
and substance use, specifically, how family influences either promote or deter continued
use of substances in adolescents. Katie lives in North Carolina with her husband, dog,
and cats.
has published numerous book chapters and articles primarily focused on issues related to
addiction, youth, and families.
Dr. Todd F. Lewis is an associate professor of counseling and counselor education at North
Dakota State University. He is a licensed professional counselor and a national certified
counselor. Dr. Lewis is past treasurer and president of the International Association of
Addictions and Offender Counselors (IAAOC), a subdivision of the American Counseling
Association. He recently served as the IAAOC representative on the Governing Council of
the American Counseling Association. Throughout his career, he has taught graduate-level
students in motivational interviewing, substance abuse counseling, assessment, diagnosis,
and treatment planning. He has presented on these topics at numerous local, state, national,
and international venues. Dr. Lewis has published numerous research articles related to
substance abuse, collegiate drinking, and theoretical approaches to addictions treatment. He
has twice received the Exemplary Research Award from IAAOC for his research and was
the 2012 recipient of the Teaching Excellence Award from the University of North Carolina
at Greensboro School of Education. In 2014, he published his first textbook, Substance
Abuse and Addiction Treatment: Practical Application of Counseling Theory, published by
Pearson Education. Dr. Lewis is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of
Trainers (MINT). He has secured internal and external funding for his work in motivational
interviewing, primarily using the approach to address health disparities within surrounding
communities. In addition to his full-time faculty work, Dr. Lewis has garnered significant
clinical experience where he has coordinated substance abuse clinical research and treatment
services with clients struggling with a range of substance abuse and mental health issues. In
his spare time, Dr. Lewis enjoys reading, hiking, being outdoors, and spending time with his
family.
Dr. Jeremy M. Linton is an associate professor of counseling and human services and
director of the Student Counselor Training Clinic at Indiana University South Bend. He
is also the counseling director at Collaborative Family Solutions in South Bend, Indiana.
Jeremy earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Michigan, a master’s
degree in counseling from Valparaiso University, and a PhD in counselor education and
supervision from Western Michigan University. He is a licensed clinical addictions counselor
and licensed mental health counselor in the state of Indiana and a licensed professional
counselor in the state of Michigan. Jeremy is the author of the book Overcoming Problematic
Alcohol and Drug Use published by Routledge and more than 20 other journal articles and
book chapters. When he is not working, Jeremy enjoys reading, skateboarding, and spending
time with his wife, four kids, and two loyal golden retrievers.
Dr. Taryne M. Mingo is an assistant professor at Missouri State University and has a
career background as an elementary professional school counselor for rural populations in
Georgia. Her research interests include advocating for marginalized student populations
across P–16 settings, using intersectionality theory to support marginalized student
populations, womanist theory and supervision, and incorporating a social justice lens
within school counseling programs. Dr. Mingo serves as a member on the Department
of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Writing Team for Missouri school
About the Contributors • x xiii
counselors and was invited to participate in the White House convening for school
counselors as part of the Reach Higher Initiative in 2014. Dr. Mingo identifies as a social
justice change agent who seeks to find new and innovative methods toward accessing
education, to support student learning, and to promote every student reaching his or her
highest potential.
Dr. Regina R. Moro serves as an assistant professor in counselor education at Boise State
University in Boise, Idaho. She received her PhD in counseling from the University of
North Carolina at Charlotte with an emphasis in multicultural counseling, received a
graduate certificate from UNC Charlotte in substance abuse counseling, and earned an
MS in community counseling from Syracuse University. Regina is a licensed mental health
counselor (FL), a licensed clinical addictions specialist (NC), and a national certified
counselor. Her clinical passion involves work with crisis and trauma, including a focus on
addiction with individuals and families. She enjoys spending her free time enjoying the great
outdoors with her partner and their dog, Barkley.
Dr. Marsha Riggio is chairperson and associate professor with the Counseling Department
at Argosy University, Washington, DC, where she recently received the 2016 Faculty
Mentor Award. Dr. Riggio received her PhD in counselor education and supervision, and
her background includes 20 years of teaching and mental health experience that involves 15
years in the U.S. Army as a behavioral science specialist/mental health officer and several
years as a licensed professional counselor/supervisor and national certified counselor. She has
a private counseling and supervision practice. Dr. Riggio is also the executive director of the
Maryland Counseling Association, president of the Maryland Association for Marriage and
Family Counseling, and a member of the board of directors for the William V.S. Tubman
University Foundation in Liberia. When not working, Dr. Riggio spends time with her
husband, six children, two cats, and one fish.
Dr. Rebecca G. Scherer joined the Counseling and Educational Psychology program at
the University of Nevada, Reno, in the fall of 2014. She is a licensed professional counselor
(LPC) in North Carolina, an approved clinical supervisor (ACS), and a nationally certified
counselor (NCC). Her professional interests include multiculturalism and social justice
in counseling, attachment theory/therapy, and clinical supervision. She has presented at
numerous workshops at state, regional, national, and international conferences. In her free
time, Rebecca enjoys hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter in the Lake Tahoe area.
Dr. Anneliese A. Singh is an associate professor and associate dean for diversity, equity,
and inclusion in the College of Education at the University of Georgia. Dr. Singh is a past
president of the Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Issues in Counseling,
where she developed transgender counseling competencies and queer and trans people
of color initiatives. She cofounded the Georgia Safe Schools Coalition to work on the
intersection of heterosexism, racism, sexism, and other oppressions in Georgia schools. She
founded the Trans Resilience Project to translate findings from her 15 years of research
on the resilience that transgender people develop across the life span and across multiple
identities to navigate societal oppression. She passionately believes in and strives to live by
x xi v Theory and Practice of Addiction Counseling
the ideals of Dr. King’s beloved community, as well as Audre Lorde’s reminder that “without
community, there is no liberation.”
Michael S. Spivey holds bachelor of arts degrees in Spanish and history from the University
of North Carolina at Charlotte and a master of arts in education and human development
from the George Washington University. After working as a senior facilitator and consultant
for 25 years in the financial and manufacturing arenas, Michael is currently pursuing a
master of arts in counseling with a concentration in clinical mental health at the University
of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is a member of the American Counseling Association
and the North Carolina Counseling Association. He is also a current member and past board
member of the International Association of Facilitators, having served two terms in the role
of global director of professional development. Michael is also a member of the Chi Sigma
Iota and Kappa Delta Pi honor societies. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, hiking, and
gardening.
Paula J. Swindle, MA, NCC, LPCS, is a doctoral student at the University of North
Carolina at Greensboro. She returned to pursue her PhD after 15 years in the counseling
profession, including designing and implementing mental health programming for cardiac
and cancer services in a hospital setting. Paula plans to go into counselor education, and
her research interests include counseling and spirituality, religious abuse, process addictions,
counselor self-care, and counseling in medical settings. Raised in the beautiful Blue Ridge
Mountains of North Carolina, Paula and her husband Dustin currently live in Winston-
Salem, North Carolina.
Heidi Unterberg is a doctoral student at Argosy University, Washington, DC, and has
worked as a teaching assistant (TA) in the Master’s Level Counseling Department for 2
years. She has presented at the International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors
(IAMFC) World Conference, sponsored by the International Association of Addictions
and Offender Counseling (IAAOC), on addictions and the family system: systems theory
with families affected by addiction. She also presented at the Association for Specialists
in Group Work (ASGW) National Conference, on criminogenic juveniles: morality
development using a restorative justice model. She is a member of the Restorative Justice
Committee in the division of IAAOC working with cohorts toward increasing knowledge
and counselor skills in restorative justice practices. She is a mental health therapist with
Valley Youth House, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, working toward certification in eco-
systemic family therapy (ESFT) with the Philadelphia Child Guidance Center (PCGC)
and toward certification in trauma focused–cognitive behavioral therapy (TF–CBT). She
lives in the Great Pocono Mountains with her supportive husband, David, of 19 years,
and her two amazing children, Samuel and Stephanie. The family enjoys spending time
outdoors together taking care of their five English mastiffs, four horses, ten chickens, and
duck Sparky. Oh, and their pig, Kevin.
in the areas of college student drinking prevention, addiction treatment, counselor training,
and clinical supervision. Dr. Wahesh earned his doctorate in counseling and counselor
education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He is a member of the
Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers and is an approved clinical supervisor (ACS)
and national certified counselor (NCC). In 2015, he received the New Professional Award
from the North Atlantic Region Association for Counselor Education and Supervision
(NARACES). Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Dr. Wahesh loves pizza, water ice, and
the New York Yankees.
T
his text explores multiple theoretical approaches to both the epistemology of addiction
and its treatment. It is important for the reader to understand our perspectives as editors
because who we are and what we believe ultimately defines the lens through which we
have edited this book. Both editors subscribe to a biopsychosocial and spiritual theoretical
perspective regarding the causes and maintenance of addiction. We believe that there are
crucial biological, psychological, sociological, and spiritual factors at play in the creation of
addiction and in the maintenance of that addiction once it has begun. We also both believe that
the treatment of addiction must necessarily include all of those aspects in order to adequately
address the disease of addiction.
Additionally, we base our work on several underlying assumptions about addiction
counseling. These include the following:
• Theories or models are underlying guides in clinical practice that include our beliefs
about what causes problems in our lives and about how and why people change in
response to those problems. In counseling, our theories reflect who we are as much as
they reflect our beliefs about change. In other words, our adopted counseling theories
are selected based on our own developmental process and our resulting worldview.
• We assume that counselors should be engaged in an ongoing, reflective practice con-
cerning their biases about addiction and addicted people. Most of us have been im-
pacted by addiction in some way. Personally speaking, after 30-plus years of practice
and a strong belief that addiction is a disease that literally hijacks the person’s brain,
it is still difficult not to fall into moral model beliefs when a young college student
is killed by a drunk driver with eight previous convictions of driving while impaired.
We have to understand those judgements, accept that we will always have them (just
as racism and sexism will always reside within us), and choose consciously not to act
out of that place when we provide treatment.
• There is a strong connection between what a counselor believes about the causes and
maintenance of addiction and how that counselor will go about treating the addicted
client. Likewise, we assume that the chosen theory of counseling determines the type
of treatment approach a counselor will choose to take with a client. For example, if
1
2 Theory and Practice of Addiction Counseling
TREATMENT LORE
Training to be a substance abuse counselor during the 1980s, when we came through our
own counselor training programs, was quite different from addiction counseling training
today. And yet there are many aspects of that early training that remain in today’s addiction
counseling curriculum. Much of this can be called treatment lore. This lore for working
with addicted clients has its history within the development of the field through the 20th
century. It is connected to Alcoholics Anonymous and the disease model in many ways. The
concepts of treatment lore have been handed down in a way similar to an oral history. With
this in mind, please note that we are not taking credit for these concepts and ideas. This is
merely a presentation of accumulated lore that we have learned through the years by way of
in-service training, our own clinical supervision as counselors, treatment program curricula,
and psychoeducational materials used by counselors with clients. And our use of the word
lore does not suggest that these concepts are untrue. They are simply a part of the accepted
culture of addiction counseling, impacting the ways in which addiction counselors perceive
and work with clients.
The use of treatment lore continues today, although we believe that in the classroom
there has been a significant shift in focus toward empirically based approaches and theories
that have solid foundations in the larger counseling and psychotherapy fields. Where
treatment lore persists is in the multitude of professional development trainings, workshops,
addiction counseling training institutes, and the addiction treatment agencies. Graduates of
counseling programs obtain positions in treatment programs that work from this treatment
lore approach. Granted, more and more programs are being required to demonstrate that
treatment provided is theoretically and empirically grounded. However, this requirement
is not universal, resulting in many treatment center and program addiction counselors
mashing together ideas, beliefs, and personal experiences into how they work with clients
on a day-to-day basis.
Although we do not advocate using treatment lore as the foundation for how counselors
work with addicted clients, we believe it is important to present some of these concepts
for two reasons. First, it is important that new counseling professionals entering the field
understand some of the culture of their intended work environments. Many of these
concepts are held to by working addiction counselors at almost a visceral level. We believe
Chapter 1 • From Treatment Lore to Theory Application 3
this is due to some of these counselors having either come through their own recovery
process or having a close family member in recovery. The result is that these beliefs are
directly related to the fact that this professional is still alive and breathing today. Personally
speaking, were it not for some or all of these ideas, some of our own family members would
be dead due to their addiction. This belief makes for a “true believer” in those who have
gone through this experience. And sometimes a true believer can be less open to alternative
ways to conceptualize addiction and work with addicted clients.
The second reason for presenting this information is that much of it makes sense and can
accurately describe some of the experiences and issues that addicted clients have to address
in their process of recovery. This piece of lore helps counseling professionals understand
these issues as well, allowing for a better understanding of their client experiences. If some
of these ideas are accurate, which we believe is the case, then addiction counselors will be
able to teach these ideas to clients and help them progress in their recovery.
In looking at what we consider to be common treatment lore, there are several groups of
concepts, including a definition of addiction, descriptors of the illness and how it manifests
in clients, and things to consider when working with an addicted client. We briefly discuss
these concepts and provide examples of how they are used.
A common issue when beginning work with addicted clients is a resistance to the
term alcoholic or drug addict. Both terms carry many negative connotations and negative
stereotypical views. Often clients openly and defiantly state that they are neither one of
these types. Our response is to agree with the client, stating that it is not our job to make
that determination; it is the client’s right to decide what levels of difficulty he or she has with
chemical use. We provide a common definition in individual, group, or psychoeducational
counseling, stating that addiction is the compulsive use of a mood-altering substance or
behavior, which continues even in the face of adverse consequences. One of the best known
advocates of this definition has been Father Martin, who has taught this concept in his
well renowned video Chalk Talks (Kelly Productions, 1972). An important corollary to
this definition is that it is important for counselors and clients both to understand that the
chemical itself (or behavior in a process addiction) is not the primary problem. Rather, it
is the behaviors, cognitions, and emotions surrounding the use and abuse of the chemical
(or process) that are important. In other words, it is not the alcohol that is important in
alcoholism; it is the “ism” that has to be addressed. Alcoholism, cocainism, workaholism,
hypersexism, gamblingism, and perfectionism are all about the “ism.” Each one of these
“isms” is merely a different way for a person to alter his or her mood. Put another way, “A
drug is a drug is a drug.”
Another treatment lore relates to how the nature of addiction is explained to clients so
that they can understand what they are experiencing as they move through recovery. This
description is commonly referred to as 3 Ps and a T. This name stands for addiction being a
primary illness that is progressive and persistent and if left unchecked is terminal. A primary
illness is one that requires treatment before any other issues or concerns are addressed. In
addiction counseling, this is related to clients who may focus on other psychological or
emotional problems, bypassing dealing with their addiction problem, thus never addressing
this issue. As counseling on the other problem progresses, often a client may begin self-
medicating the pain that arises with chemicals or processes, rather than developing more
4 Theory and Practice of Addiction Counseling
appropriate and healthy coping strategies. Progress is limited at best and often very temporary.
Eventually the counselor may uncover what is actually happening with the client and try
to address the chemical use, with varying levels of success. Thus, a successful outcome for
the client is blocked due to the primary illness overshadowing any efforts by the client or
counselor to make positive changes.
Addiction as a progressive problem refers to the series of negative consequences
associated with compulsive unchecked use. These consequences follow a sequence from
mild to moderate to severe in nature. Examples of mild consequences include an increase
in tolerance to alcohol, onset of memory blackouts, and an inability to stop drinking even
once others have done so. Moderate consequences include failed efforts to control intake
amount or quit altogether; negative impact on work, finances, and family and friends; and
the development of tremors. Severe consequences include physical and moral deterioration,
lengthy episodes of intoxication, and a decrease in tolerance to alcohol, also known as
reverse tolerance. Each of these levels of severity coincide with viewing addiction through a
three-stage model of progression. Jellinek (1960) created a diagram called the Jellinek Curve
that displays how clients progress downward through the early, middle, and late stages of
addiction. The opposite side of the curve represents steps and progress markers for clients
who are working up toward recovery. The two sides create the curve, or U shape, of the
progression of addiction and the progression through recovery.
The concept of persistence explains the fact that this problem cannot be ignored with the
hope that it will eventually go away or resolve itself. Addiction must be addressed directly,
head-on, through active participation in a treatment process. Clients must understand
that their work toward recovery cannot become complacent. The idea of persistence is
especially difficult for parents to accept, especially when they say to a counselor that the
using behavior of a child is just a phase and that the child will grow out of it. Many times
this can happen. But more often, once someone’s use and abuse of chemicals comes to the
attention of professionals, it is well beyond the experimentation stage or phase. At this point,
the addiction is present and persistent and will not go away on its own.
The final descriptor, T, refers to addiction being a terminal condition. If it is left unchecked,
due to its persistent nature and the progression through increasingly severe consequences,
then the final outcome is likely to be death. Death may come about in a variety of ways. It can
be over the course of time through the physical deterioration of the body (although time here
is relative based on the quantity and frequency of individual use). Or death can be a result
of participating in risky behaviors due to impaired thinking, such as a traffic fatality. Many
addicted people struggle with depression and so are at significant risk of chemically induced
suicidal ideation and behaviors, sometimes resulting in a successful suicide.
A second group of descriptors about addicted clients are the three Ds of addiction: denial,
delusion, and dishonesty. Denial is probably the most commonly known of these three,
although the other two appear obvious once considered by the addiction counseling student.
As clients progress through addiction, they begin to deny the impact of their behaviors
and subsequent consequences. Often they will look to place the blame for any negative
consequences on any number of other areas rather than their use and abuse of chemicals.
It is common to hear clients refer to getting arrested for driving while impaired as merely
having to fill a law enforcement officer’s quota of citations. Disregard the fact that the client
Chapter 1 • From Treatment Lore to Theory Application 5
was actually driving while impaired. Other clients will attribute their abuse of chemicals to
negative or dysfunctional relationships. All of this is denial.
As the denial increases with the progression of addiction, clients will begin to develop
patterns of impaired thinking, or delusions, surrounding their chemical abuse. This may
include unreasonable resentments toward family and friends. As the chemical or process
obsession grows, these can lead to delusional thinking. Often, this delusional thinking
supports a delusional belief of persecution by people in the lives of clients.
The third characteristic, dishonesty, is connected to the first two, in that clients will
often go to great lengths to avoid the truth of their addiction. This includes the dishonesty
toward the self through denial and delusional thinking, as well as dishonesty in everyday
interactions with the people they interact with. A system of lies is created that insulates
clients from the negative consequences of their behavior. Many people close to the addicted
person either openly support this dishonesty through enabling behavior or covertly support
the dishonesty by creating their own “reasons” for the abusive behavior and associated
consequences. Both of these compensation approaches by friends and family members share
a common characteristic of not directly and honestly confronting the inappropriate abuse
behavior, thus resulting in shielding, either intentionally or unintentionally, the addicted
person from the appropriate negative consequences of his or her behavior. The end result of
this complex level of dishonesty is usually a collapse of the delicate system of lies and alibis
for the addictive behavior.
Several other treatment lore concepts should be mentioned. One of these is the idea
that immediate and complete abstinence from all chemicals is the only way for a person to
achieve recovery from addiction. Whereas there may be theoretical approaches that support
this, and many addiction counselors who profess this as true, it should not be considered
an absolute. It is hard to address all of the variance in people through the use of absolute
thinking. Many clients have worked through their own recovery process and rebuilt their
lives successfully by way of treatment approaches that do not require abstinence.
Another piece of lore is that group counseling is the only way for clients to experience
any confrontation of their behaviors and that the group process needs to break through the
barrier of denial for addicted clients to finally see what they have done. This is not the case
and in fact has a level of paternalistic thinking that could be quite harmful to some clients. It
is important for addiction counselors to develop their other awareness of their clients and of
their clients’ individual circumstances. Some of this paternal thinking can be linked to some
counselors bringing their own recovery experiences, or family recovery experiences, into the
counseling process and assuming that if it worked for them, then it should work for their
clients. This can be a very Eurocentric viewpoint that does not work well in today’s diverse
society. In addition, it tends to lead counselors toward their own use of the term denial.
Some counselors will resort to labeling client resistance behaviors as client denial. The client
is just not ready to listen, or admit defeat, or acknowledge his or her problem, or admit
that others have been harmed. This belief releases the counselor from any responsibility in
adjusting his or her approach to more readily meet clients where they are and to create a
safe and accepting counseling relationship/environment that fosters honest disclosure and
examination of client motivations and behavior. Clients carry enough shame on their own.
They do not need more piled on them from their counselors.
6 Theory and Practice of Addiction Counseling
There are many more aspects of treatment lore that have not been presented in this brief
discussion. We are only trying to give the reader an idea of a few of the concepts and belief
systems embedded in the culture of the addiction treatment community. It is important that
this information not be taken as an indictment of the many substance abuse professionals
and programs. It is not that at all. It is merely provided as information to help new addiction
counseling professionals understand the environment that they will be working in, allowing
them to integrate some of these concepts into their thinking as they work toward developing
a theoretical approach to addiction treatment, similar to any other counseling professional
integrating any of the more general counseling theoretical approaches into his or her own
personal theoretical framework.
qualities that lead to a cohesive self-structure. These qualities are crucial to later development
and can be obtained through a structured experience that helps the addicted person
internalize those qualities not received from earlier selfobjects. Information about the impact
of trauma related to this theory is also discussed. Recovery, therefore, is conceptualized as a
process of self-restoration. Next, Chapter 6 discusses the developmental nature of addiction.
This perspective assumes that as people mature or develop, they also mature in their ability
to cope with the addictive process and find ways to cope with tendencies toward relapse.
The chapter describes the etiology and maintenance of addiction through a developmental
lens. It also explores how developmental shifts toward higher levels of consciousness impact
addiction across the life span and discusses how these shifts may relate to recovery from
addiction.
Also from a psychological perspective, Chapter 7 presents attachment theory as a lens
to examine the relationship between attachment style and its impact on one’s ability to
self-regulate. Addiction is viewed as a disorder of self-regulation (emotions, self-esteem,
relationships) and is perceived as a misguided attempt to self-repair. This chapter discusses
attachment theory, research, and clinical applications for addicted populations. Information
about the impact of trauma related to this theory is also discussed. The ways in which
attachment theory is similar and dissimilar to traditional theories of addiction and how
existing mechanisms in addiction treatment may be used to increase attachment style
growth are explored.
The third section of the book focuses on various sociological factors related to the
epistemology and maintenance of addiction. First, Chapter 8 presents addiction through
the lens of external, cultural, and contextual factors. From this viewpoint, social influences
determine substance use issues, and cultural attitudes toward substances influence individual
behavior. Addicted individuals are links in society that are seen as part of a problem related
to the whole. Sociological functions of substance use include facilitation of social interaction,
release from normal social obligations, and promotion of cohesion among members of
a social or ethnic group and may be used as repudiation of “establishment” values. This
chapter explores various historical and contemporary sociocultural influences on the
epistemology and maintenance of addiction, including sociocultural differences between
the United States and other parts of the world. A second chapter in this section, Chapter
9, presents addiction through a family systems lens. This chapter examines the function of
addiction within the family system and different approaches to treating the addicted family.
Some approaches view addiction as a disease and encourage family members to examine
their own issues. Concepts such as codependency, enabling, and family roles are discussed.
Other approaches take more of a family systems approach by focusing on how the addiction
functions in the family, exploring rules, boundaries, communication, problem solving, and
roles. A behavioral family model looks at behaviors of the family that precede and reinforce
use, tries to change what occurs before and after use, and addresses relationships in terms of
themes, communication styles, and how drug use keeps the relationship stable.
A fourth section of the book explores various theoretical approaches to interventions
and change strategies including the transtheoretical model, motivational interviewing, harm
reduction, cognitive-behavioral approaches, 12-step facilitation, and postmodern approaches
to addiction treatment. The transtheoretical model, including the stages of change, assumes
8 Theory and Practice of Addiction Counseling
that change happens when the right process happens at the right time. From this perspective,
change is both external and internal and may be viewed as transtheoretical in nature. In
Chapter 10, the transtheoretical model theory is presented and discussed in detail, including
how the counselor may use change process interventions (experiences and activities) that
help the client move from one stage to another. The chapter shows how clients spiral in and
out of these stages and how change behavior needs to be viewed within the cultural context.
Motivational interviewing is a client-centered method for enhancing internal motivation
for change by exploring and resolving ambivalence within the client. In Chapter 11,
motivational interviewing is presented as a style of therapeutic intervention that focuses
on developing a collaborative relationship with clients, helping the counselor to roll with
client resistance and enhancing client self-efficacy. This chapter is theoretical and practice
focused, helping the counselor integrate the stages of change with appropriate motivational
interviewing approaches.
Chapter 12 discusses harm reduction models as an approach to addiction treatment.
Harm reduction is based on the notion that lifelong abstinence from substances is extremely
difficult for addicted populations and that setting incremental goals toward abstinence may
be more realistic. Although complete abstinence from mood-altering chemicals or behaviors
may be preferred, it may not be attainable for all clients. Examples of harm reduction models
are discussed as well as client presentations where it may be preferred over other approaches.
An integration of a harm reduction approach with other theoretical models is also explored.
Chapter 13 reviews empirical support of cognitive behavioral theory (CBT) and surveys
its application to substance use disorders and treatment. The basic assumptions of CBT are
outlined as well as its assumptions about etiology and maintenance of addiction. The goals
and tasks of CBT treatment are discussed along with examples of techniques that might be
used in counseling.
The history of the 12-step movement is briefly explored in Chapter 14 followed by a
description of its conception of the etiology and maintenance of addiction, its integration
with other theoretical models (biopsychosocial/spiritual dimensions), empirical evidence
of its usefulness, and a discussion of central concepts (e.g., powerlessness, acceptance,
denial, spiritual dis-ease, fellowship, time binding, sponsorship, working the steps). The
chapter also discusses the use of 12-step groups as an ancillary support in conjunction with
counseling and treatment.
Chapter 15 describes three constructivist or postmodern approaches to addiction treatment.
Postmodern approaches such as narrative, feminist, and womanist therapy share a common
philosophical stance around issues of power, justice, and advocacy. They may, however, look
different in clinical application. Problem-saturated stories are common among people struggling
with addictions. Narrative approaches view people as separate from their problems and assume
people have many competencies, beliefs, values, and skills that will help them reduce the amount
of influence problems have over their lives. Narrative concepts such as deconstructive listening,
externalizing conversations, unique outcomes, thickening the plot, spreading the news, and
mining for hope guide this exploration toward creating alternative stories and preferred realities
in therapeutic work. Feminist and womanist approaches to addiction counseling emphasize
concepts such as the intersections of personal experience and political realities, the importance
of egalitarian relationships, and explorations of voice and resilience.
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DANCE ON STILTS AT THE GIRLS’ UNYAGO, NIUCHI
I see increasing reason to believe that the view formed some time
back as to the origin of the Makonde bush is the correct one. I have
no doubt that it is not a natural product, but the result of human
occupation. Those parts of the high country where man—as a very
slight amount of practice enables the eye to perceive at once—has not
yet penetrated with axe and hoe, are still occupied by a splendid
timber forest quite able to sustain a comparison with our mixed
forests in Germany. But wherever man has once built his hut or tilled
his field, this horrible bush springs up. Every phase of this process
may be seen in the course of a couple of hours’ walk along the main
road. From the bush to right or left, one hears the sound of the axe—
not from one spot only, but from several directions at once. A few
steps further on, we can see what is taking place. The brush has been
cut down and piled up in heaps to the height of a yard or more,
between which the trunks of the large trees stand up like the last
pillars of a magnificent ruined building. These, too, present a
melancholy spectacle: the destructive Makonde have ringed them—
cut a broad strip of bark all round to ensure their dying off—and also
piled up pyramids of brush round them. Father and son, mother and
son-in-law, are chopping away perseveringly in the background—too
busy, almost, to look round at the white stranger, who usually excites
so much interest. If you pass by the same place a week later, the piles
of brushwood have disappeared and a thick layer of ashes has taken
the place of the green forest. The large trees stretch their
smouldering trunks and branches in dumb accusation to heaven—if
they have not already fallen and been more or less reduced to ashes,
perhaps only showing as a white stripe on the dark ground.
This work of destruction is carried out by the Makonde alike on the
virgin forest and on the bush which has sprung up on sites already
cultivated and deserted. In the second case they are saved the trouble
of burning the large trees, these being entirely absent in the
secondary bush.
After burning this piece of forest ground and loosening it with the
hoe, the native sows his corn and plants his vegetables. All over the
country, he goes in for bed-culture, which requires, and, in fact,
receives, the most careful attention. Weeds are nowhere tolerated in
the south of German East Africa. The crops may fail on the plains,
where droughts are frequent, but never on the plateau with its
abundant rains and heavy dews. Its fortunate inhabitants even have
the satisfaction of seeing the proud Wayao and Wamakua working
for them as labourers, driven by hunger to serve where they were
accustomed to rule.
But the light, sandy soil is soon exhausted, and would yield no
harvest the second year if cultivated twice running. This fact has
been familiar to the native for ages; consequently he provides in
time, and, while his crop is growing, prepares the next plot with axe
and firebrand. Next year he plants this with his various crops and
lets the first piece lie fallow. For a short time it remains waste and
desolate; then nature steps in to repair the destruction wrought by
man; a thousand new growths spring out of the exhausted soil, and
even the old stumps put forth fresh shoots. Next year the new growth
is up to one’s knees, and in a few years more it is that terrible,
impenetrable bush, which maintains its position till the black
occupier of the land has made the round of all the available sites and
come back to his starting point.
The Makonde are, body and soul, so to speak, one with this bush.
According to my Yao informants, indeed, their name means nothing
else but “bush people.” Their own tradition says that they have been
settled up here for a very long time, but to my surprise they laid great
stress on an original immigration. Their old homes were in the
south-east, near Mikindani and the mouth of the Rovuma, whence
their peaceful forefathers were driven by the continual raids of the
Sakalavas from Madagascar and the warlike Shirazis[47] of the coast,
to take refuge on the almost inaccessible plateau. I have studied
African ethnology for twenty years, but the fact that changes of
population in this apparently quiet and peaceable corner of the earth
could have been occasioned by outside enterprises taking place on
the high seas, was completely new to me. It is, no doubt, however,
correct.
The charming tribal legend of the Makonde—besides informing us
of other interesting matters—explains why they have to live in the
thickest of the bush and a long way from the edge of the plateau,
instead of making their permanent homes beside the purling brooks
and springs of the low country.
“The place where the tribe originated is Mahuta, on the southern
side of the plateau towards the Rovuma, where of old time there was
nothing but thick bush. Out of this bush came a man who never
washed himself or shaved his head, and who ate and drank but little.
He went out and made a human figure from the wood of a tree
growing in the open country, which he took home to his abode in the
bush and there set it upright. In the night this image came to life and
was a woman. The man and woman went down together to the
Rovuma to wash themselves. Here the woman gave birth to a still-
born child. They left that place and passed over the high land into the
valley of the Mbemkuru, where the woman had another child, which
was also born dead. Then they returned to the high bush country of
Mahuta, where the third child was born, which lived and grew up. In
course of time, the couple had many more children, and called
themselves Wamatanda. These were the ancestral stock of the
Makonde, also called Wamakonde,[48] i.e., aborigines. Their
forefather, the man from the bush, gave his children the command to
bury their dead upright, in memory of the mother of their race who
was cut out of wood and awoke to life when standing upright. He also
warned them against settling in the valleys and near large streams,
for sickness and death dwelt there. They were to make it a rule to
have their huts at least an hour’s walk from the nearest watering-
place; then their children would thrive and escape illness.”
The explanation of the name Makonde given by my informants is
somewhat different from that contained in the above legend, which I
extract from a little book (small, but packed with information), by
Pater Adams, entitled Lindi und sein Hinterland. Otherwise, my
results agree exactly with the statements of the legend. Washing?
Hapana—there is no such thing. Why should they do so? As it is, the
supply of water scarcely suffices for cooking and drinking; other
people do not wash, so why should the Makonde distinguish himself
by such needless eccentricity? As for shaving the head, the short,
woolly crop scarcely needs it,[49] so the second ancestral precept is
likewise easy enough to follow. Beyond this, however, there is
nothing ridiculous in the ancestor’s advice. I have obtained from
various local artists a fairly large number of figures carved in wood,
ranging from fifteen to twenty-three inches in height, and
representing women belonging to the great group of the Mavia,
Makonde, and Matambwe tribes. The carving is remarkably well
done and renders the female type with great accuracy, especially the
keloid ornamentation, to be described later on. As to the object and
meaning of their works the sculptors either could or (more probably)
would tell me nothing, and I was forced to content myself with the
scanty information vouchsafed by one man, who said that the figures
were merely intended to represent the nembo—the artificial
deformations of pelele, ear-discs, and keloids. The legend recorded
by Pater Adams places these figures in a new light. They must surely
be more than mere dolls; and we may even venture to assume that
they are—though the majority of present-day Makonde are probably
unaware of the fact—representations of the tribal ancestress.
The references in the legend to the descent from Mahuta to the
Rovuma, and to a journey across the highlands into the Mbekuru
valley, undoubtedly indicate the previous history of the tribe, the
travels of the ancestral pair typifying the migrations of their
descendants. The descent to the neighbouring Rovuma valley, with
its extraordinary fertility and great abundance of game, is intelligible
at a glance—but the crossing of the Lukuledi depression, the ascent
to the Rondo Plateau and the descent to the Mbemkuru, also lie
within the bounds of probability, for all these districts have exactly
the same character as the extreme south. Now, however, comes a
point of especial interest for our bacteriological age. The primitive
Makonde did not enjoy their lives in the marshy river-valleys.
Disease raged among them, and many died. It was only after they
had returned to their original home near Mahuta, that the health
conditions of these people improved. We are very apt to think of the
African as a stupid person whose ignorance of nature is only equalled
by his fear of it, and who looks on all mishaps as caused by evil
spirits and malignant natural powers. It is much more correct to
assume in this case that the people very early learnt to distinguish
districts infested with malaria from those where it is absent.
This knowledge is crystallized in the
ancestral warning against settling in the
valleys and near the great waters, the
dwelling-places of disease and death. At the
same time, for security against the hostile
Mavia south of the Rovuma, it was enacted
that every settlement must be not less than a
certain distance from the southern edge of the
plateau. Such in fact is their mode of life at the
present day. It is not such a bad one, and
certainly they are both safer and more
comfortable than the Makua, the recent
intruders from the south, who have made USUAL METHOD OF
good their footing on the western edge of the CLOSING HUT-DOOR
plateau, extending over a fairly wide belt of
country. Neither Makua nor Makonde show in their dwellings
anything of the size and comeliness of the Yao houses in the plain,
especially at Masasi, Chingulungulu and Zuza’s. Jumbe Chauro, a
Makonde hamlet not far from Newala, on the road to Mahuta, is the
most important settlement of the tribe I have yet seen, and has fairly
spacious huts. But how slovenly is their construction compared with
the palatial residences of the elephant-hunters living in the plain.
The roofs are still more untidy than in the general run of huts during
the dry season, the walls show here and there the scanty beginnings
or the lamentable remains of the mud plastering, and the interior is a
veritable dog-kennel; dirt, dust and disorder everywhere. A few huts
only show any attempt at division into rooms, and this consists
merely of very roughly-made bamboo partitions. In one point alone
have I noticed any indication of progress—in the method of fastening
the door. Houses all over the south are secured in a simple but
ingenious manner. The door consists of a set of stout pieces of wood
or bamboo, tied with bark-string to two cross-pieces, and moving in
two grooves round one of the door-posts, so as to open inwards. If
the owner wishes to leave home, he takes two logs as thick as a man’s
upper arm and about a yard long. One of these is placed obliquely
against the middle of the door from the inside, so as to form an angle
of from 60° to 75° with the ground. He then places the second piece
horizontally across the first, pressing it downward with all his might.
It is kept in place by two strong posts planted in the ground a few
inches inside the door. This fastening is absolutely safe, but of course
cannot be applied to both doors at once, otherwise how could the
owner leave or enter his house? I have not yet succeeded in finding
out how the back door is fastened.