This article reports results from a preliminary ethnographic study of a new and largely unknown s... more This article reports results from a preliminary ethnographic study of a new and largely unknown self-help organization for Latinos with substance use disorders, known as “4th and 5th Step Group” (in Spanish, Grupo de Cuarto y Quinto Paso, “CQ”). It describes the nature of CQ, aspects of group membership, and members' experiences of the organization. Although findings are preliminary, they provide critical information on a potentially important therapeutic resource. More rigorous research with larger and more diverse samples of Latinos participating in CQ is warranted.
There is a growing interest among scientists and the lay public alike in using the South American... more There is a growing interest among scientists and the lay public alike in using the South American psychedelic brew, ayahuasca, to treat psychiatric disorders like depression and anxiety. Such a practice is controversial due to a style of reasoning within conventional psychiatry that sees psychedelic-induced modified states of consciousness as pathological. This article analyzes the academic literature on ayahuasca's psychological effects to determine how this style of reasoning is shaping formal scientific discourse on ayahuasca's therapeutic potential as a treatment for depression and anxiety. Findings from these publications suggest that different kinds of experiments are differentially affected by this style of reasoning but can nonetheless indicate some potential therapeutic utility of the ayahuasca-induced modified state of consciousness. The article concludes by suggesting ways in which conventional psychiatry's dominant style of reasoning about psychedelic modified states of consciousness could be reconsidered.
A previously unknown Spanish-language mutual aid resource for substance use and mental health con... more A previously unknown Spanish-language mutual aid resource for substance use and mental health concerns is available in Latino communities across the USA and much of Latin America. This kind of ‘4th and 5th step’ group is a ‘culturally adapted’ version of the 12-step programme and provides empirical grounds on which to re-theorise the importance of spirituality and culture in mutual aid recovery groups. This article presents ethnographic data on this organisation.
Informal, coercive residential centers for the treatment of addiction are widespread and growing ... more Informal, coercive residential centers for the treatment of addiction are widespread and growing throughout Latin America. In Mexico these centers are called " anexos " and they are run and utilized by low-income individuals and families with problems related to drugs and alcohol. This article draws on findings from a 3-year anthropological study of anexos in Mexico City. Participant observation and in-depth interviews were used to describe and analyze anexos, their therapeutic practices, and residents' own accounts of addiction and recovery. Our findings indicate that poverty, addiction, and drug-related violence have fueled the proliferation of anexos. They also suggest that anexos offer valuable health, social, and practical support, but risk exacerbating the suffering of residents through coercive rehabilitation techniques. Emphasizing this tension, this article considers the complex relationship between coercion and care, and poses fundamental questions about what drug recovery consists of in settings of poverty and violence.
This article reports results from a preliminary ethnographic study
of a new and largely unknown s... more This article reports results from a preliminary ethnographic study of a new and largely unknown self-help organization for Latinos with substance use disorders, known as ‘‘4th and 5th Step Group’’ (in Spanish, Grupo de Cuarto y Quinto Paso, ‘‘CQ’’). It describes the nature of CQ, aspects of group membership, and members’ experiences of the organization. Although findings are preliminary, they provide critical information on a potentially important therapeutic resource. More rigorous research with larger and more diverse samples of Latinos participating in CQ is warranted.
This article reports results from a preliminary ethnographic study of a new and largely unknown s... more This article reports results from a preliminary ethnographic study of a new and largely unknown self-help organization for Latinos with substance use disorders, known as ‘‘4th and 5th Step Group’’ (in Spanish, Grupo de Cuarto y Quinto Paso, ‘‘CQ’’). It describes the nature of CQ, aspects of group membership, and members’ experiences of the organization. Although findings are preliminary, they provide critical information on a potentially important therapeutic resource. More rigorous research with larger and more diverse samples of Latinos participating in CQ is warranted.
This article reports results from a preliminary ethnographic study of a new and largely unknown s... more This article reports results from a preliminary ethnographic study of a new and largely unknown self-help organization for Latinos with substance use disorders, known as “4th and 5th Step Group” (in Spanish, Grupo de Cuarto y Quinto Paso, “CQ”). It describes the nature of CQ, aspects of group membership, and members' experiences of the organization. Although findings are preliminary, they provide critical information on a potentially important therapeutic resource. More rigorous research with larger and more diverse samples of Latinos participating in CQ is warranted.
There is a growing interest among scientists and the lay public alike in using the South American... more There is a growing interest among scientists and the lay public alike in using the South American psychedelic brew, ayahuasca, to treat psychiatric disorders like depression and anxiety. Such a practice is controversial due to a style of reasoning within conventional psychiatry that sees psychedelic-induced modified states of consciousness as pathological. This article analyzes the academic literature on ayahuasca's psychological effects to determine how this style of reasoning is shaping formal scientific discourse on ayahuasca's therapeutic potential as a treatment for depression and anxiety. Findings from these publications suggest that different kinds of experiments are differentially affected by this style of reasoning but can nonetheless indicate some potential therapeutic utility of the ayahuasca-induced modified state of consciousness. The article concludes by suggesting ways in which conventional psychiatry's dominant style of reasoning about psychedelic modified states of consciousness could be reconsidered.
A previously unknown Spanish-language mutual aid resource for substance use and mental health con... more A previously unknown Spanish-language mutual aid resource for substance use and mental health concerns is available in Latino communities across the USA and much of Latin America. This kind of ‘4th and 5th step’ group is a ‘culturally adapted’ version of the 12-step programme and provides empirical grounds on which to re-theorise the importance of spirituality and culture in mutual aid recovery groups. This article presents ethnographic data on this organisation.
Informal, coercive residential centers for the treatment of addiction are widespread and growing ... more Informal, coercive residential centers for the treatment of addiction are widespread and growing throughout Latin America. In Mexico these centers are called " anexos " and they are run and utilized by low-income individuals and families with problems related to drugs and alcohol. This article draws on findings from a 3-year anthropological study of anexos in Mexico City. Participant observation and in-depth interviews were used to describe and analyze anexos, their therapeutic practices, and residents' own accounts of addiction and recovery. Our findings indicate that poverty, addiction, and drug-related violence have fueled the proliferation of anexos. They also suggest that anexos offer valuable health, social, and practical support, but risk exacerbating the suffering of residents through coercive rehabilitation techniques. Emphasizing this tension, this article considers the complex relationship between coercion and care, and poses fundamental questions about what drug recovery consists of in settings of poverty and violence.
This article reports results from a preliminary ethnographic study
of a new and largely unknown s... more This article reports results from a preliminary ethnographic study of a new and largely unknown self-help organization for Latinos with substance use disorders, known as ‘‘4th and 5th Step Group’’ (in Spanish, Grupo de Cuarto y Quinto Paso, ‘‘CQ’’). It describes the nature of CQ, aspects of group membership, and members’ experiences of the organization. Although findings are preliminary, they provide critical information on a potentially important therapeutic resource. More rigorous research with larger and more diverse samples of Latinos participating in CQ is warranted.
This article reports results from a preliminary ethnographic study of a new and largely unknown s... more This article reports results from a preliminary ethnographic study of a new and largely unknown self-help organization for Latinos with substance use disorders, known as ‘‘4th and 5th Step Group’’ (in Spanish, Grupo de Cuarto y Quinto Paso, ‘‘CQ’’). It describes the nature of CQ, aspects of group membership, and members’ experiences of the organization. Although findings are preliminary, they provide critical information on a potentially important therapeutic resource. More rigorous research with larger and more diverse samples of Latinos participating in CQ is warranted.
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of a new and largely unknown self-help organization for Latinos
with substance use disorders, known as ‘‘4th and 5th Step Group’’
(in Spanish, Grupo de Cuarto y Quinto Paso, ‘‘CQ’’). It describes
the nature of CQ, aspects of group membership, and members’
experiences of the organization. Although findings are preliminary,
they provide critical information on a potentially important
therapeutic resource. More rigorous research with larger and more
diverse samples of Latinos participating in CQ is warranted.
of a new and largely unknown self-help organization for Latinos
with substance use disorders, known as ‘‘4th and 5th Step Group’’
(in Spanish, Grupo de Cuarto y Quinto Paso, ‘‘CQ’’). It describes
the nature of CQ, aspects of group membership, and members’
experiences of the organization. Although findings are preliminary,
they provide critical information on a potentially important
therapeutic resource. More rigorous research with larger and more
diverse samples of Latinos participating in CQ is warranted.