In the conference organized by Üsküdar University, Üsküdar University Addiction Application and Research Center (ÜSBAUMER), ICAAD Events and C4 Recovery Solutions, the development of psychosocial resilience in the treatment of addiction and concurrent problems was discussed.

Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan pointed out the importance of social relationships and social networks in addiction treatment and said, "Social resilience, what we call social resilience, prevents the person from using substances." NPISTANBUL Hospital AMATEM Coordinator Prof. Dr. Nesrin Dilbaz also pointed out the importance of social resilience in addiction treatment and underlined that the family and those social ties should be rehabilitated as well as the treatment of the individual.

Üsküdar University, Üsküdar University Addiction Application and Research Center (ÜSBAUMER), ICAAD Events and C4 Recovery Solutions organized a conference titled "Improving Psychosocial Resilience in the Treatment of Addiction and Concurrent Problems".

Professionals working in the field of mental health, psychiatrists, psychologists, family physicians and students showed great interest in the conference held at Üsküdar University Altunizade Campus Nermin Tarhan Conference Hall. In the conference, which also included participants from various countries, the increasing addiction in the world and in Turkey, trauma-based social and emotional problems accompanying addiction and the development of psychosocial resilience in combating them were discussed.

Addiction is a public health problem

Christophe Saverwein, Academic Director of ICAAD, stated that they are an independent organization and that they aim to inform and raise awareness about addiction worldwide. Stating that 25% of the world's population faces the risk of addiction at some point in their lives, Saverwein pointed out that addiction is a public health problem and that many people lose their lives due to addiction. He said that this conference, where professionals who fight against addiction come together, is important.

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "Addiction is not an area of freedom"

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Rector of Üsküdar University, stated in his presentation titled "Complex Coexistence of Substance Use Disorders with Psychiatric Disorders - The Latest Treatments and Deep TMU Applications" that neuroplasticity in the brain is impaired in addicted people and that a more aggressive treatment should be done in the compulsory treatment of these patients.

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "Substance abuse is passive suicide"

Prof. Dr. Tarhan asked, "Does a person have the freedom to harm themselves or not?" and said, "We need to ask this question well. If a person has the freedom to self-harm, let's leave it, it is being done today in Norway in Northern Europe. People use substances, it is said that this person can use substances as long as they do not harm others. Let us not interfere, it is seen as an area of freedom. But is it freedom for a person to harm themselves? Substance use is passive suicide. I think passive suicide should not be given medical approval. Our identity as clinicians says, 'The main thing is the patient's best interest'. If the patient's best interest is the main thing, then the strongest and most comprehensive and compulsory clinical environment should be to continue the treatment until the neuroplasticity of the patient's neuroplasticity reaches a certain improvement."

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "Social relationships increase resilience"

Stating that people who use substances have attachment problems, Prof. Dr. Tarhan said, "A person who uses substances thinks only about the substance and their judgment is impaired. The biological dynamics and psychological dynamics of a person in love and a person who uses substances are very similar. It is similar to the chemistry of love. Love is a problem of attachment. People who use substances melt into it. It becomes the only reality in their lives. In addiction patients, the person is attached to an object. He builds his attachment relationship with life on it. In the Minnesota Model, if a person finds a person or a relationship to attach to, they do not start using substances. It is necessary to ensure that substance users can manage the attachment model correctly. It is important for those dealing with addiction to think more about attachment and to establish social attachment correctly instead of biological attachment." Tarhan also stated that scientific studies have determined that social environments replace addiction and said, "Social relationships and social networks, social resilience, social resilience prevent people from using substances."

Prof. Dr. Nesrin Dilbaz: "Social resilience is very important in addiction treatment"

Prof. Dr. Nesrin Dilbaz, Director of Üsküdar University Addiction Application and Research Center (ÜSBAUMER) and AMATEM Coordinator of NPISTANBUL Hospital, emphasized the importance of social resilience in both treatment and prevention in her presentation titled "Principles of Substance Abuse Treatment".

Prof. Dr. Nesrin Dilbaz: "Family ties should also be rehabilitated"

Stating that social resilience is very important in addiction and traumas, Prof. Dr. Nesrin Dilbaz said, "The concept of resilience is very important not only in preventive studies but also in treatment. How should we use it in treatment so that we can increase resilience in our patients? There are studies on this subject to treat patients by increasing resilience in trauma. After a while, I am sure there will be studies on this in addiction as well. Of course, while doing this, we need to consider not only the person, but also their family and social environment. As NPISTANBUL Hospital AMATEM team, we now believe in the following concept; rehabilitation of the family along with individual rehabilitation. We are talking about the rehabilitation of the family. We started to emphasize this in our treatment methods. We think that the family and those social ties should be rehabilitated and even rebuilt."

New methods in addiction treatment are promising

Speaking about the treatment principles in addiction treatment, Prof. Dr. Nesrin Dilbaz emphasized the importance of the Deep TMS method in effective treatment. Stating that new methods are promising in addiction treatment, Prof. Dr. Dilbaz said, "Deep TMS aims to stimulate some regions in the brain by creating a magnetic field. It is used in treatment-resistant depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Especially its use in addiction is related to the stimulation of the Insula region. It is aimed to reduce cravings."

He explained their work with Palestinian children

In his presentation titled "Psychosocial Support in Unstable Environments", Dr. Fathy Flefel, Director of the Resource Center of the Palestine Red Crescent Society, stated that they work especially on children living in a war environment and said, "We focus on people's strengths. We strengthen resilience. The main point here is to restore hope. We try to help these people to continue their lives. While doing this, we try to inform not only the child but also teachers, families and society."

Continuity is essential in addiction treatment

In his speech titled "Understanding Addiction", Psychiatry Specialist Prof. Dr. Kültegin Ögel stated that addiction is a complex problem and emphasized that the treatment processes of addicted individuals should be followed well. Ögel pointed out that continuity in treatment increases the success of the treatment.

After the speeches were completed, applied, multidisciplinary workshops and networking activities were organized.