Conference on problems of dependence

Below are papers read at the conference on Theological Understanding of the Addiction Problem:
Orthodox and Catholic Approaches
October 1-2, 2019, Sankt Petersburg (continuation)

Formation of spirituality concept in Western and Eastern Christian traditions and a review of various uses of the term in the context of recovery from addiction

E. N. Protsenko, founder and member of the board of the Christian Charitable Foundation "Old World", head of the foundation's recovery programs, psychologist

Let me start my report with a quote from the lecture "Spirituality of Alcohol Addiction" read in 2016 at a conference on addiction problems by Fr. Julian Negru, an Orthodox priest, our colleague from Romania, who has been working with addicts for many years:

"Driving God away from our life, we are left with an immense spiritual emptiness that cannot be filled with anything in the world, but only with God. "Oh Lord, you have made us for thyself and our hearts are restless until they rest in you!" - exclaimed St. Augustine. Therefore, we can say that even the one who goes to the bar for a drink, unconsciously and desperately searches for God. He is just looking not in the right place…" ("The Spirituality of the alcohol addiction", by Fr. Julian Negru, 2016).

Today, the most common understanding of addiction in the professional community is this: "Addiction is a disease that has biological, psychological and social causes and manifestations, but is basically caused by violations of the SPIRITUAL sphere of man and society".

But it's very important for us to understand what exactly is meant by the word "spiritual", when we talk about the "spiritual aspect of the addiction problem", "spiritually oriented programs", "spiritual approach to the disease treatment" etc.

After all, someone can associate "spirituality", for example, with culture, history, philosophy, painting, music, literature, etc., understand it as a kind of alloy of education, intellect and "orientation to universal values", "the humanistic ideals of mankind"; whereby these values and ideals also remain very uncertain. Others suggest that behavioral manifestations, for example, politeness and goodwill in communication be accepted as the most important criteria of spirituality.

The meaning of the word "spirituality" in various dictionaries:

• Personality characteristic, when the spiritual, moral and intellectual interests prevail over material (Ozhegov's dictionary).
• Detachment from vile, grossly sensual interests, aspiration to internal improvement, high spirit (Ushakov's dictionary).
• Spiritual, intellectual nature, identity of a human being, opposed to his physical, bodily identity, aspiration to perfection, high spirit (Efremova's dictionary).
• Spirituality, in the most general sense, is the crop of manifestations of the spirit in the world and in a human being. In sociology, culturology and journalism, "spirituality" is often called the unifying principles of society, expressed in the form of moral values and traditions, concentrated, as a rule, in religious teachings and practices, as well as in art images. This approach suggests that the projection of spirituality in the individual consciousness is called conscience, and it also claims that the spirituality is strengthened in the process of preaching (exhortation), enlightenment, ideological and educational or patriotic work (Wikipedia).

It is obvious that the root of the word "spirituality" is "spirit", and these concepts are closely related to each other. What kind of spirit are we talking about, and what is it? Undoubtedly, the original meaning of the word "spirituality" correlates with a religious understanding of the spirit, with the view of spirituality, which the Church has always conveyed.

In the ancient philosophy, it was Plato who began to develop the paradigm of spirituality, although he did not use the very word "spirituality".

In Christian theology, the concept of "spirituality" began to shape in the first centuries of Christianity as a "protective reaction" to the emergence and development of the heretical teaching of the Gnostics. In the Western tradition, this "anti-Gnostic" attitude remained the same in subsequent centuries.

It's paradoxical that from the 19th century it were exactly Gnostic religious movements (theosophy of Helena Blavatsky, the Roerichs, later - Scientology of Ron Hubbard and many other representatives of the New Age) that began to use the term "spirituality" actively and filled it with a new content. By the way, the definition of addiction that is popularly defined by the abbreviation "BPSS" (i.e. a bio-psycho-socio-spiritual phenomenon) also reflects, first of all, the New Age world view, as it places the spiritual alongside with other factors, and even at the end of this row.

In modern Western religious studies, spirituality is characterized as a life lived in the fullness of the unique experience of a person's inner feelings, in which traditional Western cultural symbols and other images significant to a person can be present.

More and more often, "dukhovnost'" (spirituality) in the English-speaking environment is defined and translated not as spirituality, but as mind, i.e. psyche.

The separation of spirituality and religiosity concepts resides in Western tradition. The source of religiosity is often considered to be the external world in form of prescriptions and traditions, and the source of spirituality is the internal experience of a person.

The Eastern Orthodox theology had no concept of "spirituality" until the 16th century. In the 18th century, when educational institutions for training of clergy and theologians were established in Russia (academies, seminaries), these institutions were and are still called spiritual (dukhovnye) - this is how the Latin term "theological" was translated in our country.

In the 17th century, the expression "to be spiritually guided by someone" meant to have someone as a father-confessor. First of all this was a person who not so much directed the inner life or mystical experience of a person, but rather explained when one might drink milk during a fast, when not, and directed the ceremonial and everyday aspects of life.

It was only in the 19th century when Russian theologians, a significant part of whom were alumni of the Kiev-Mohyla Theological School, which was strongly influenced by the Western Christian tradition, began to apply an understanding of spirituality that is close to modern.

Theophan the Recluse was one of the most famous theologians who wrote a lot about spirituality.

In modern times, this concept is applied again in special disciplines - philosophy, psychology, medicine, in particular - psychiatry.

Dmitry Evgenievich Melekhov, a famous psychiatrist of the Soviet era, paid much attention to the concept of spirituality in his works. He was one of the few psychiatrists who had the courage not to hide his Christian world view even in the 1930s.

Archimandrite Hierotheos (Vlachos), a modern Greek Orthodox theologian, writes about spirituality: "It would be better to convey a meaning of the term in relation to the Orthodox Church with the phrase "spiritual life", since this is not about some abstract state, as in Western theology, but about the action of the Holy Spirit in man. ... Orthodox spirituality is clearly different from any other spirituality of the eastern and western type ... because the focus of the Orthodox spirituality is the God-Man, while other religions focus on man. The difference is mainly seen in dogma, in teaching". "... Spirituality is a condition of a spiritual person. A spiritual person has a certain type of behavior, a certain way of thinking".

At the same time, he believes that Orthodox spirituality is not the fruit of the inner effort of man and not an abstract religious life. He writes that, according to the teachings of the Apostle Paul, a spiritual person is clearly different from a natural person. In the spiritual the Holy Spirit is working, while the natural is one who has a soul and a body, but who has not acquired the Holy Spirit, which gives life to the soul.

"But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one" (1 Cor. 2: 14-15).

And in the same Letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul makes a distinction between a spiritual man and a carnal one. A carnal person does not have the Holy Spirit in his heart, but retains all the other spiritual and bodily functions of a human being. Therefore, it is obvious that the term "carnal man" does not refer to the body, but means a natural person who doesn't have the All Holy Spirit in himself and correlates only with the so-called biological "individual self" in his actions.

"Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation - but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father". The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children" (Rom. 8: 12-16).

A spiritual person is one who witnesses the Holy Spirit within his heart and knows that he is the home of the Holy Triune God.

St. Basil the Great, exploring the meaning of the words: "a person becomes a temple of the All Holy Spirit", teaches god-inspired that the temple of the Holy Spirit is a person whose mind is not subject to embarrassment from temptations and from constant worries, but strives for God and communicates with Him. Thus, the spiritual person has the Holy Spirit within himself, which is confirmed by his unceasing mindfulness of God.

According to St. Gregory Palamas, just as a person endowed with mind is called intelligent, so one who is enriched in the Holy Spirit is called spiritual. So, spiritual man is called the "new man", revived by the grace of the All Holy Spirit.

This view is shared by all the Holy Fathers. ... According to St. Simeon the New Theologian, man is called natural until reason (logicon) and mind (nus) as parts of a human soul for knowledge and feelings are been clothed" in the image of Christ, because he has no spiritual understanding. This natural man is like a blind man who cannot see the sunlight. In fact, he is both blind and dead. On the contrary, the spiritual man who has partaken of the Holy Spirit energies lives according to God...

Thus, Orthodox spirituality is an experience of life in Christ, the atmosphere of a new person, revived by the grace of God. This is not about an abstract emotional and psychological state, but about the unity of man with God. Characteristic features of Orthodox spirituality are Christ-centricity, Trinity-centricity, Church-centricity. "The Orthodox spirituality is impossible without the Sacraments and ascetic life" (Metropolitan Hierotheos (Vlachos), Orthodox Spirituality [Православная духовность]. URL: https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Ierofej_Vlahos/pravoslavnaja-duhovnost).

For our consideration, we can define spirituality as being filled with the Spirit of God, unity with this Spirit, aspiration to satisfy the thirst with the help of the very Spirit, realizing the thirst for the Spirit, and not with other "surrogate" fillers.

In conclusion, we emphasize that even our brief review shows how important it is to periodically review and clarify terms and concepts, especially such fundamental ones as "spirituality".

Otherwise, there is a risk of very serious substitutions. So, for example, you can hear more often that they call open marriage a "SPIRITUAL marriage" trying to get away from the term "living in fornication".

All of the above has the following relation to the problem of addiction treatment.

The search for an answer to the question of why people are looking for a drug began in ancient times, and continues to this day. From antiquity to the present day philosophers most often tried to put the addiction down to the initial inclination, predisposition to it. They turned to the innate features of the body, which were derived from the human nature itself. Kant, Descartes, Leibniz, Kierkegaard, Schopenhauer, Heidegger, Sartre, Frankl and other major and less known thinkers of the past and present were interested in this question. So, Kant, for example, wrote that there is an initial longing for the unattainable in man, and it is this longing that man tries to stifle with drugs.

From the Christian point of view, man is created to strive for spiritual fullness. But, due to original sin, from the very conception, he carries within himself emptiness, not filled with the Spirit, as it were, a kind of " spiritual vacuum". Such emptiness, the "spiritual cavity" can decrease in the process of development in conditions favorable for spiritual life, and increase in adverse conditions. These conditions include many factors of various kinds: genetic predisposition, family traditions and norms that exist in society as a whole.

As a child becomes aware of himself as an individual, as a separate person from other people (parents, associates), he becomes aware (and before that he senses it unconsciously) of his own spiritual incompleteness. And a strong need to fill this emptiness with something comes along with it, also most often unconsciously. The difficulty, however, is that it is possible to fill in the deficiency of the Spirit with nothing other than the Spirit, and this can be done not by a person himself, but only by the One from whom this Spirit comes - by God. A man cannot just wish (or not wish) to surrender entirely to this Divine will. And after this desire the aspiration emerges to remove all the barriers, conscious and unconscious, which egoism and pride put forward on the path of man's unity with God, with other people and himself.

If all the factors (bio-psycho-socio) that influence the development and formation of the human personality have developed in such a way that a person does not have a desire to follow the will of God, then a strong, albeit unconscious aspiration to fill the inner emptiness, the "spiritual cavity", gives rise to attempts (also usually unconscious) to replace, "fill up" it with material objects ("things of this world") or mental processes that for a more or less long time give the illusion of a full life, one's own spiritual fullness and harmoniousness.

A wide variety of "substitutes" can give this illusion. There are those among them that are unconditionally disapproved by society (drugs, violence, money grubbing) and those that do not cause a clear negative reaction in society (alcohol, excitement, food, sex, power) and even those that are unconditionally approved as social values (work, friendship, human love, charity, religion).

Any of the above can turn into a drug if a person becomes addicted to it, losing the freedom granted to him by God.

This creates an insurmountable barrier to the spiritual growth of the individual, destroys the social, psychological and biological life of a person.

The bad consequences of addiction occur not only for a person himself (destruction and premature aging of the body, psychosomatic diseases, mental disorders, disturbances in family and social ties, etc.), but also for his descendants, often for many generations (social disasters, wars, environmental disasters and other phenomena of this kind).

The psychological mechanism of spiritual disturbances is co-dependence, which manifests itself as a person's aspiration to solve spiritual problems with non-spiritual means, to replace his spiritual incompleteness with non-spiritual fillers: chemicals, material objects, mental processes or human relationships.

The sequence of rehabilitation activities in the rehabilitation process and its justification from the spiritual and psychological points of view

Rev. Davide Banzato, spiritual assistant of the New Horizons (Nuovi Orizzonti - www.nuoviorizzonti.org) and missionary of mercy

Introduction. My personal experience

I met Chiara Amirante, the founder of the New Horizons (Nuovi Orizzonti) community, when I was 14 years old and I studied at a junior seminary. Her experience of communication with the young people who had fallen into addiction had impressed me. I was struck by the insanity of that young woman who had decided to go alone in the street at night and listen to their cry. She risked her life for them.

But even more shocking was my experience a few years later, when I visited a host community and saw the reality where it was not obvious who was a drug addict, alcoholic or prostitute, and who was a volunteer or coordinator. There was a real family atmosphere. But above all, the young people - touched by the street and prison life - had light in their eyes that was the fruit of prayer and a spiritual journey based on the Gospel that had brought them to authentic conversion. Many of them had been criminals and blasphemers, adherents of satanic sects or simply debauchery or street life, but they turned into missionaries who went looking for other young people in their street missions that the New Horizons organized. They would go everywhere - to schools for prevention meetings, to crowded places, to station, etc. Their strength was in bearing testimony of their own lives and their ability to speak the same language as those they met. Many people joined the community saying, "If you have done it, I'll be able too!".

So, when I was 18, I left my city, Padua, I left my family and everything to live in the community. Since the age of 18 I have lived in the community house with the young people we host there, and together with them I undertake missions and prevention projects to which we have dedicated our full-time since the New Horizons was founded, i.e. for 25 years.

I try to share my simple experience with you as a priest and brother among other brothers who have taught me so much. For example, I have learned that there are no bad people, but only wounded who hurt themselves and who need love to heal their hearts. I have learnt that one cannot overcome an addiction unless one goes deep to work on its cause through a journey of self-discovery. I have learned that this path alone is not enough, because today's world is too aggressive, so you need something more powerful than substances to unhinge the reality avoidance mechanisms. This is why Chiara Amirante has devised an integral human therapeutic approach that embraces the body - psyche - spirit, called Spiritherapy - the path defined as the "art of loving" that includes self-discovery and healing of one's heart with the support on the Word of the Gospel. Only Jesus Christ is the "Doctor of doctors" capable of "healing the wounds of broken hearts". Only by investing in spirituality and caring for the needs of the soul, one will be able to overcome new wounded feelings or disappointments in life which, combined with old wounds, lead to the lifestyle where drugs become a palliative remedy which solves problems.

Almost all accredited therapeutic communities in Italy are nondenominational, even those founded by priests. As far as I know, only the New Horizons and the Last Supper (Cenacolo) community put the Gospel in the centre of their work.

Most of the young people who enter our communities are atheists or agnostics, almost always they are anticlerical. However, we suggest this path to all of them, explaining our motivation and proposing Jesus as a role model. I can say that the focus on the humanity of Jesus is the point of attraction and contact for everyone; in fact, many young people accept to try to bet on Jesus Christ's personality, discovering the novelty and fullness of His life, which has marked the history of the humankind. Nearly everyone - having covered a long path - meets Him personally as the Lord of their lives. But even those who do not receive the gift of faith, get renewed by the truths of the Gospel, which we meditate daily and try to live according to its letter and spirit.

1. The model of pedagogical-rehabilitative intervention of the New Horizons and the benchmark values that are in the foundation of this approach

Leaning on the vision of man underlying various schools of psychology and through the interdisciplinary dialogue between the humanities, philosophy and theology, we have come to an integrated vision of the person that involves and closely links his fundamental dimensions - physical, psychic and spiritual. Therefore, we make our own integrated model that, while finding its roots in the humanistic existential psychology, promotes an integral human formation, is respectful of the psychological laws of human development, open to transcendence, attentive to the contributions of the scientific community and is in dialogue with modern culture.

Our conviction about the vision of man, his process of growth or the failure of his life project can be summed up in the following statements: everything that concerns man, his growth, his healing and his self-realization has to do with the innate need to love and be loved; a need that, if frustrated, becomes a source of distress and psychological problems that can jeopardize his self-realization.

As a continuous implementation of potential, skills and talents, as the fulfilment of a mission, self-realization is accomplished through the process of self-discovery and raising awareness about oneself which facilitates the contact with one's true Self and opens it to the Transcendence as the power of meaning and absolute novelty. The path of self-discovery drawn by Chiara Amirante, intersects and is in harmony with the projects promoting well-being on the basis of the WHO directives (Source WHO, 1993, 1998) and expressed in learning life skills, peer education and socio-affective education.

What is our view of distress and pathology?

The approach to discomfort is not based on the identification of symptoms to eliminate or manage them, even if interventions are offered in a very targeted way from the very beginning. However, we believe that distress should be considered and interpreted in the complexity of the person's life, trying to identify the causes to be addressed.

At the same time, we believe that a lasting and consistent change happens and distress is overcome to the extent the person is open to a broad review of his/her life, with a view to giving meaning to his/her existence and realistically choosing an authentic and healthy life project. From this point of view, it is essential, in our approach, to encourage, develop and apply one's strengths, talents, attitudes and abilities (support the allies of growth) and help people to give meaning to their lives. The aetiology of distress is considered complex and multifactorial; we focus on the individual's ability to choose and his or her responsibility, which has not always been encouraged by the context. However, since responsibility as always present even if exercised badly or not at all, it can make it possible to choose anew, freely and independently, but taking other people into account.

Some patterns and behavioural models that are no-functional or even harmful, have been learned in the relational context, especially in the family. The community lifestyle encourages the possibility of choose and experience new ways, that result from new relations where the person may experience their frustrated needs in a new way, or parts of themselves earlier not allowed.

2. Five Pillars of the Rehabilitation Programme

Experience

The community is a model of an experiential type, born first from a direct experience, rather than as a theoretical reflection. It proposes the way of 'putting into practice attempts to live' as its central method.

It is not always necessary to 'understand everything' to launch a change. The dimension that can motivate to change one's attitude and make new choices - even if the understanding is incomplete - is seeing, feeling, experiencing the change in the life of the other who started from the same situation of death. This generates trust since the person trusts the life testimony of those who are willing to accompany others in their journey of change and are nourished by the alliance that is created between them.

Attitude

For those, who are very wounded by dysfunctional and totally negative experience of forming relations, the goal is to form new and different relations that are based on authenticity, freedom and trust, recognition of the other as a value, self-respect and respect to the others. A very particular experience of healthy relations is the key to change and to growth oriented to the personal journey that encourages friendly and fraternal relationships.

Community life

The essential and simple life style which one practiced living in the community helps to restore the true value to things, encourages to material and spiritual exchange, leads to discovering the needs of others and teaches to ask for help, makes one assimilate the spirit of gratuitousness, attention to those who differ from oneself, dedication and the spirit of sacrifice, acquisition of the correct scale of values.

Vocational training

Our aim is to help people through a complex process based on collaborative interaction within the community. Work as a therapeutic tool, awakens and maintains social attitudes that were once compromised, stimulates the individual's psychic abilities and tends to reduce the loss of contact between the person and objective reality.

Spiritherapy

One of the fundamental answers that Chiara Amirante, founder of the New Horizons, has elaborated over these 25 years of activity is the path of healing of the heart based on Spiritherapy. It is based on the understanding that a specific effect on the wounds of the heart is achieved only if we focus on the part that has a greater potential than the mind, i.e. on the Spirit - the divine spark which is the image and likeness of God and which contains an immense and underexplored spiritual potential, capable of healing every wound! This path based on Spirituality, which is a path of Self-discovery to learn the Art of Loving, is valid for everyone, because it enables us to love and this differentiates us from other creatures. Over the years we have learnt that Spiritherapy can bear extraordinary fruits and tangible results, allowing us to witness concrete examples of healings the wounds of the heart and extremely rapid growth.

3. The Objectives of the Rehabilitation Programme

The residential host Centres offer pedagogical and rehabilitative approach to combat substance addiction. The Programme pursues the following objectives:

• provide knowledge to address and solve the problem of addiction;
• acquire a healthy self-esteem and rediscover one's own potential;
• mature in responsibility and skills of communication;
• develop skills of choice making, judgement and planning;
• develop an authentic, autonomous Self capable of forming plans for life;
• open oneself to the encounter with the living God in the person of Jesus Christ.

4. Phases of the Programme

The Program is divided into five phases:

PHASE I: Specific objective: orientation and motivation

It corresponds with the primary acceptance of an individual into a host centre and lasts for one or two months depending on the individualized project defined. At this phase, the person begins to identify and develop an adequate motivation to embark on the path of change and growth and to orient themselves towards the community lifestyle. This first phase consists of a series of therapeutic sessions and cognitive interviews to define the main problems and identify the most appropriate responses. The person is assisted at this period of abstinence, with a possible adjustment of detoxifying drugs.

PHASE II: Specific objective: awareness of one's own dysfunctional attitudes

The person is accompanied in this process of raising awareness about their dysfunctional and ruinous attitudes and behaviours, and recognition of their personal responsibility with respect to the choices made in the past. It is mainly a behaviour focused work in which we try to teach the person to stay with their commitments, be responsible, self-disciplined, creative, authentic, respect oneself and others, and discover the correct scale of values.

Besides, we seek to discover and enhance the person's unexpressed potential and skills and help the person to capture the beauty of inner freedom.

PHASE III: Specific objective: self-discovery and acquisition of tools necessary for change

We continue the behavioural work already described and begin to go deeper through introspective and experiential techniques - embark on the path of self-discovery. It is a decisive moment for the acquisition of tools necessary for change. We clearly identify the multiple aspects of discomfort resulting from the traps and long-standing dynamics and focus on the tasks necessary for maturing and internalization of functional and empowering attitudes and habits.

For this reason, much space is given to group work and training to support the individual on their path of growth, which is understood as following:

• formation of their own responsibility in everyday duties and the dynamics of relations;
• growing awareness of the dynamics related to the sphere of emotions, feelings and mental processes;
• commitment and consistency in being here and now;
• acquiring a healthy self-esteem and rediscovering one's positive potential;
• a true dialogue and confrontation,
• reconciliation with one's own story and limitations, and formation of an ability to be free from conditions or judgements set by others or oneself;
• knowledge and integration of one's own gender identity and emotional sensitivity;
• acquiring a growing awareness of the value of one's spiritual dimension.

PHASE IV: Specific objective: accountability and decision making

The work at this phase focuses on maturing one's own sense of responsibility at work, in coordination and organisation of day-to-day activities, in exercising soft skills through many aspects of community life. Indeed, the person undertakes an increasing responsibility in work, organization of a day, supporting newcomers and participation in various activities proposed.

Assuming roles of higher responsibility, the person practices in autonomy that opens him/her personal freedom through acquiring skills of decision-making and problem solving, the ability to structure healthy relations with others, based on authenticity and honesty.

And finally, this test their ability to manage their emotions and communicate freely and effectively. At this stage, the person also starts getting involved - if willing - in preventive work (meetings in schools and youth gatherings) and work in the streets.

PHASE V: Specific objective: autonomy, reconstruction of the social structure and integration into working environment

The person is accompanied in social and work reintegration. Depending on the evaluation of the person's aptitudes and job offers, an individualised project can provide for a job placement in the social cooperatives affiliated to the Association or in the working areas on the territory. The person is accompanied in the step-by-step reconstruction of relations and interests in the social context and in the search for a home to achieve autonomy. At this phase the aspects of control concern healthy personal planning, work commitments, management of free time, personal resources and socio-affective environment.

5. Rehabilitation Actions

a. Work therapy/Ergotherapy

Work is considered in its educational and formative value. The working areas for the residents to be engaged are those associated with the household management (cleaning and routine maintenance, kitchen, laundry, warehouses) and activities to acquire professional skills and develop personal and creative skills (craft workshops). Moreover, residents at the reintegration phase can be integrated in the work of the cooperatives affiliated to the Association (gardening, olive growing, carpentry, construction, catering and event organization).

b. Formative groups

Guidance and accompanying; support and therapeutic talk; dialogue and discussions; self-discovery and training groups; sharing groups; emotional and relaxation techniques trainings; spirituality groups. This formative work takes place weekly, while every month the whole community participates in a training day organized by the Association at the national level on issues concerning personal growth, solidarity and spirituality.

с. Spirituality and prayer

The New Horizons programme offers to consider the spiritual dimension of a person as a search for meaning and a comprehensive realisation of one's life. Therefore, the community schedule envisages time for the meditation on the Gospel reading of the day in the whole community, for the celebration of the Eucharist, for personal and community prayer, as well as for confession. The programme is based on the Catholic faith, but respects and gives everyone an opportunity to practice their own religious beliefs.

d. Reflection and deepening

Every day there is some reasonable time allocated for reflection and reading (personal diary). Everything that the person experiences every day needs to be comprehended; this allows to balance one's life experience and integrate deeper the personal and community path.

е. Sporting activities

We have sport facilities in our premises (gyms and sport grounds) and if there are none, the residents can use the local sports facilities. Individual and team sport activity - at least twice a week - is an integral part of the programme; every person can practice sports depending on their state of health and personal preferences.

f. Creative and recreational activity

The atmosphere of cooperation and harmony within the community is created thanks to the time together (parties, cultural visits, film forums, etc.) and participation in creative workshops (singing, dancing, music, painting, theatre, etc.). These activities are also valuable because they offer healthy entertainment, an alternative to the consumeristic model prevailing in our society.

g. Leisure time

Every day envisages some personal free time so that every resident may learn how to manage it according to their own wants and needs, but in compliance with the community rules.

h. Work of the Association

The Association offers a number of services, and among them are centres for training in international voluntary work. These centres coexist with the host centres, and the interaction between these two realities gives a powerful impetus to the growth for both. Here are some activities where this interaction takes place:

• preventive projects in schools and street work;
• trainings on prevention;
• listening centres;
• missions to foreign countries (Brazil, Bosnia and Herzegovina).

5. Method

We practice a personalized approach to everyone who comes to us. A special team draws a project for every accepted person in collaboration with the relevant local agencies, so that this person could resolve his/her problems and set targets.

6. Continuity at the end of the programme and birth of missionary vocation

At the end of the programme, the person is integrated in the working environment (for this cooperative societies and social enterprises are set up); many young people decide to join the Association, dedicate their lives as Children of Joy (Piccoli della Gioia), become missionaries abroad or serve the needs of our Cause in its structures or in the local groups to which they belong.

Conclusion

The pedagogical and rehabilitation programme practiced in the communities of the New Horizons is not targeted exclusively at drug addicts or people with social problems, but it is an offer for human growth suitable for any person who wants to experience fully all his/her dimensions.

Our association offers the same therapeutic path to:

• those who ask us for help, because they are addicted to substances or are in another form of distress;
• those who want to be trained as volunteers, participate in preventive activities, in missions or to help within the association or in other organisations (structures);
• those who experience an existential crisis, are in search for their vocation or want to give mean and direction to their lives.

The courses are different depending on the time and conditions, as well as the specificity of the topics to be dealt with, but objectives are the same, because the ultimate goal is to restore the person's ability to love like Jesus loved, "This is my commandment: that you love one another, as I have loved you" (Jn. 15:12).

The programme in psychological terms

Facilitation of self-reflection due to healing of the heart.

Support of individual psychological and formative counselling which adjust the dysfunctional aspects of the person's life.

Proactive dynamics of comparison and exchange at the group level and in the community life.

Having consolidated one's true Self or spiritual dimension, there opens a significant opportunity to complete and expand one's sense of self, life and creativity. Efforts are aimed at the formation of skills associated with decision-making, implementation and action, which are vitally important as the person becomes capable of forming a solid identity, continuity between the past and the future, and a stable and constructive Self.

Final comment

This brief overview of a much more complex reality lacks specific passages about Spiritherapy, which can be complemented by Chiara Amirante's text The Healing of the Heart. Spiritherapy: Art of Loving and Self-discovery (Piemme Publishing), which has become a bestseller in Italy and will soon be available in several translations.