Applying Axio-Orientation to Facilitate Recovery in Alcoholics and Persons with Personality Disorders

Abstract

I elaborated the fundamentals of Axio-orientation in the process of writing my doctoral research in Human Development while at the Iberoamerican University between 1999 and 2001 (Carrasco, 2001). Since then, I have made both theoretical and empirical advances in implementing Axio- orientation ideas to promote the healthy development of human potentials in different scenarios: at individually levels (Carrasco, 2010), at group levels with students and university professors (Carrasco, 2001 and 2011), with directors of Junior High School (Carrasco, 2013), in Organizational contexts (Carrasco, 2014), and in Christian counseling (Carrasco, 2016). Here, the challenge is different: to apply the ideas of Axio-orientation to aid the recovery of people addicted to alcohol and to those with internal personality disorders in a rehabilitation clinic through a 14-hour course/workshop titled, “Healthy Development of Human Potential in the Recovery Process of Addictions.” With such people, I had to take special care to present the terms and ideas of formal axiology and its applications clearly. I also explained the dynamics that originate alcoholism, beginning with the marketing of alcohol, and the degrading “vicious circle of the addict.” From there I moved to the process of recovery, the 12 Steps of the Alcoholics Anonymous Program, and the healthy and harmonious development of personality as supported by developing a life and career plan. In this work I present my experiences and the results of the course.