The Psychological experience and Alexithymia among Youth in Drug Addiction Situation One Case Study at the University Psychological Support Center in M'sila

Abstract

Drug addiction situation, with its important theories in this field of research and the experiences tested in psychological works with cases in this situation, raises many important issues related to research in this area. Not so much in that it is an echo the violation of and the breaking of social boundaries, as much as it is an echo of the internal suffering in the psychological life of these individuals, which deserves consideration into the merits of this situation with the introduction of modern concepts of health psychology, as there may be risk factors in this area contributing to the individual resorting to drug addiction as an attempt to settle and adapt to the difficulties that exist on his psychological level. Accordingly, in this study, we attempted to monitor the nature of psychological

distress, including depression, anxiety, and feelings of guilt, and on the other hand, alexithymia among young people in a state of drug addiction, using the clinical approach and a clinical analysis of a follow-up case at the Psychological Assistance Center at M’sila University, where it was conducted. We also applied the Minnesota Multifaceted Personality Test, Second Edition, the Subject Comprehension Test, and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, in addition to clinical interviews. The study reached the following results:

• The psychological condition of the case studied is characterized by manic defences against depression.
• The psychological condition of the case studied is characterized by anxiety.
• The psychological experience of the case studied is characterized by feelings of guilt.
• Alexithymia is a risk factor in young people resorting to addiction.