KETHEA DIAVASI

The Crossing

A substance user is not a number on a graph. Not just a person with a turned back. Not just shame weighing down on somebody. Not just stigma, trauma, or offence. Not just an abstract concept in a study. Substance abuse is not a lifestyle.

Users have a name, a life story, a face. They live among us. Each one of them with their own story to tell. They wear ordinary clothes. Have friends and family, perhaps. Maybe even an enviable career. Many people in their circle may have pure feelings for them. Today, one of them may have smiled and waved hello to you. A substance user is not an image from a TV spot.

The Programme

The Decision

KETHEA DIAVASI looks at the problem of substance abuse without flinching. A “clean”, substance-free life is not a riddle to be solved. It is a journey, a passage. It is a crossing lying in front of you, which you can traverse once you feel ready. KETHEA DIAVASI’s treatment programme approaches the problem from many possible sides and aspects. Addiction is treated with empathy and respect.

KETHEA DIAVASI does not only open its arms to substance users clearly facing an addiction problem. Occasional users are also welcome. The programme also provides answers to those who are simply “experimenting” with substances. Or to those who feel that drugs do not affect their life as they feel “functional”. To those who keep gaining and losing control over their life by feeding on myths of “soft” and “hard” drugs.

Since 1990, KETHEA DIAVASIS has been welcoming adult substance users trying to find their own passage into a “clean”, substance-free life. We have stood by the side of families, relatives and friends, obliged to helplessly stand by and witness their beloved ones suffer as they sink deeper into the whirl of drug abuse. It is not uncommon for someone from the milieu of the person in need of support to approach KETHEA first.

The treatment is free of charge for users and their support network. It relies on the participants’ voluntary presence and there are no waiting lists.

The treatment offered to those who decide to seek help from KETHEA DIAVASI is based on an approach which does not use medicine or substitute substances. The focus is placed on combating the psychological side of the addiction, as well as providing psychological support, empowerment and help with issues of social rehabilitation.

KETHEA DIAVASI offers an outpatient treatment programme. This means that participants do not need to live within the KETHEA DIAVASI facilities. People who decide to face their substance abuse problem do not need to interrupt their everyday activities. They can continue to study or to work, i.e. engage in activities that are important for a person’s social standing.

The everyday life of users signing up for the programme continues unaltered, as they do not have to be cut off from their family, colleagues or fellow students. Counseling and treatment may also be extended to the participant’s home environment, depending on the specifics of the case and the user’s profile.

Philosophy

Independence

KETHEA DIAVASI’s philosophy of intervention views work and education as the pillars upholding the treatment process. These two spheres of activity provide the means to help users set a firm foot into their new, substance-free life. Remaining functional and socially integrated is a vital part of the process. Work helps a person feel validated, productive and functional. It has been proven that intervention in areas of a person’s life which are important for his/her self-perception can have a multiplying effect on the treatment, and, in the long term, significantly further the principal target, i.e. rehabilitation.

Educational counseling and career management gives participants the chance to explore their natural inclinations, interests, talents and skills. This information can serve as a compass for their future professional development. The tools and expert advice provided can help open up new professional horizons or expand existing ones.

The other main pillar of the programme is education. Through its own initiatives as well as a series of synergies developed with private and public educational bodies and institutions, KETHEA DIAVASI ensures that all programme participants are given the opportunity to further their education. The programme helps users take the next step on their educational pathway. It creates training and skill development opportunities. Access to the job market and personal independence are the final aims.

Activating the Soul

The Applause

Grasping the therapeutic value of culture and the arts from early on, KETHEA DIAVASI integrated these elements into the treatment process to accompany the user through his/her rehabilitation journey.

Pablo Picasso used to say that every child is an artist, but the problem is to remain an artist once we grow up.

This soul, usually trapped inside of us and looking for a means of expression, needs to find an outlet which will enable it to “speak”. KETHEA DIAVASI organises workshops and cultural events aimed at encouraging the participants to get in touch with their creative side through art and culture. Painting, sculpture, music, poetry, theater, photography, as well as the very fact of pursuing these activities as a member of a team, give participants the chance to express themselves, unleash their creativity, relax, forge new relationships, and enjoy life.

The power of creation and artistic expression is not simply another tool deployed during the treatment. It acts as a catalyst and provides the occasion to creatively involve civil society in the prevention and treatment of substance dependencies. Events held across the city of Athens as well as initiatives undertaken jointly with groups and organisations active in the fields of social solidarity, culture and the arts serve to plant the seed. In this way, a solid basis of trust is built, stereotypes are debunked and, most importantly, new channels of meaningful communication are opened up.