Alternative pursuits

This approach is based on the belief that drug abuse is linked to psycho-social malaise and the difficulty the individual in the developed world has in finding purpose and meaning in life. Alternative means are sought for experiencing such meaning, with the assumption that achievement of a drugless "high" would help turn the user away from drugs (direct alternatives). These include meditation, aesthetic or religious experience, mind trips, sensory awareness training, biofeedback, bioenergetics, group work, diet and yoga. Indirect alternatives designed to fulfil emotional needs that originally turned the individual to drug abuse cover a wider field - from sport to vocational training, from social confidence training to creative artistic experience. Informal centres are set up to provide such input, frequently run by ex-drug users and usually catering specifically for young people.