To find solutions to the problem, great importance is attached to the social and family approach, not only for cases already under treatment but also with a view to primary prevention. The authors of this paper often receive visits from parents, especially mothers, who come to talk about the drug addiction of their children, or of their fear that they may take to drugs. These contacts are very valuable, because drug dependence has a highly disturbing effect on the balance of the family, which is sometimes already disturbed, a factor which predisposes its members to drug addition. Whereas the drug addict himself is seen directly by the doctor, the families are usually seen by one of the social workers of the service. After two or three conversations with the parents, she can give them a certain amount of guidance and can become familiar with their social and economic background and the personal relationships among members of the family.
Parents are sometimes in great distress and feel completely helpless.
Consequently, they often demand immediate solutions, such as hospitalization. The object of these first talks with the parents is to show an attitude of availability and support for them and thus to prepare the ground for another approach, that of dialogue with the young person and joint consideration with the team. This is not always easy to attain. Experience shows, however, that once parents feel that they are being informed and supported by a team of qualified therapists, dialogue with their child becomes possible again and this is a decisive factor in the drug addict's treatment. Some addicts who had refused any contact finally accepted treatment once their parents had taken part in such consultations.