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Difficulties and problems
At the beginning alcoholics without families or with
faint family ties were difficult to work with. Since the Clubs of alcoholics in
treatment work is based on the family, in these cases a substitute family was
introduced. This family took over all the obligations of a real family. A family
in the Club can take over this role, but it is even better if a family can be
found on the territory to take over the role and then become a Club member. Experience with this kind of work is good.
Similar to the problems of single alcoholics are those of so called skid row
alcoholics and homeless people, both of which are frequent among alcoholics.
Attempts are made to find substitutive families for them in the Clubs, too,
which is difficult task. In Italy special courses are organised by one centre,
San Marcellino in Genoa, which specifically deals with the problems of these
people.
On some occasions, two servant-teachers were engaged in one Club, which
presented certain problems in its development, and now it is clear that this is
unacceptable in a Club, for a number of reasons: the major drawback is that
members get two different messages, that there is a chance for competing,
rivalry and winning over Club members, which is human nature but unacceptable in
Club work. All of these reduce the chances to achieve the primary goal of
the Club.
For specific groups, work had to be specially formulated and adapted, for
instance the first Club in a big prison near Zagreb (Lepoglava) was established
in 1965. More Clubs were later established in other prisons as well, for which
servant-teachers had to be specially educated. Clubs of treated alcoholics are
now established in Italian prisons too.
Another problem that was observed very early was the occurrence of lung
tuberculosis among alcoholics. At that time streptomycin and tuberculostatics
were already in use, but alcoholics were seriously ill with cavities, and were
resistant to therapy. A special department for combined treatment, sharing the
same programme as in the Alcoholism Department in Zagreb, was organised for
their care in a big nearby hospital for lung diseases (Klenovnik, 1971).
Two relatively closed organisations presented a special problem: the army and
the clergy. Work in the navy started in Croatia, and Italy has developed its own
experiences with the army. Prof. Hudolin and his associates held two courses in
Italy for the clergy, the last one, in 1994, in Padua, was set up by our
long-time associate and head of a community for drug-addicts in Monselice,
father Salezze. Servant-teachers in italian Clubs include a relatively
large number of priests and some nuns.
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