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Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire: Therapeutic and motivational talks with drug users

A 42-year-old drug-addicted man presented himself at the Saint Vincent de Paul Psychiatric Hospital in Yamoussoukro on 13 September 2021 for treatment, as drugs and their hallucinatory effects were preventing him from leading a normal life. His behaviour had already alienated him from his biological family and his wife threatened to leave him and to take their daughter with her if he did not change.


Faced with this situation, he decided to go to the Saint Vincent de Paul Psychiatric Hospital in Yamoussoukro to start a treatment programme for drug users.

Hôpital psychiatrique Saint Vincent de Paul de Yamoussoukro. Crédit: Magloire Madjessou


During motivational talks he had with the hospital's therapeutic team, the focus was on his own responsibility for his family and his daughter's future. He also watched assertiveness videos, which helped him to understand the urgency of taking control of his life. This motivated him more and more so that he came up with the idea of presenting to the therapeutic team an Income Generating Activity for his professional integration.


He gladly accepted the hospital's offer to help out on its agropastoral farm. This comforted him in his choice to give up his former way of life. He took part in the activities of the hospital's common life: hairdressing other patients, helping them to shower and motivating them to reintegrate into society once they had left the hospital. He also participated in psycho-education sessions, associative activities, games, etc. This brought him closer to the other patients.


He was discharged from the hospital on 18 October 2021 after the therapeutic team had given a positive assessment of his progress. Everyone was proud of him. He returned home with the idea of starting an agropastoral business. His biological family promised to support his project financially and to place it under the supervision of the hospital's social team.


He regularly attends his appointments with the therapeutic team. He is firmly resolved to never again fall into drug addiction and to fulfil his responsibilities as a husband and a father.

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