SERIAL PSYCHODRAMA WITH ALCOHOLICS

Abstract

Spurred by my own intense psychodrama experience at Beacon, I returned to my duties as psychiatric consultant with hopes of beefing up psychodrama on our Alcoholism Division. Allied with my intentions was a climate of familiarity with psychodrama on the Division. However, in actual practice, for various and sundry reasons, full and regular psychodramas were being used less and less. As a consequence, many staff members felt rusty and insecure in psychodrama techniques. Sporadic psychodramas often were incomplete and ineffectual. Both staff and patients lost confidence in its effectiveness. Thus a vicious cycle was set up.