Dennis Brissett

The third place

This article examines the benefits that accrue from the utilization and personalization of places outside the workplace and the home. It is argued that participation in these third places provides people with a large measure of their sense of wholeness and distinctiveness. Third places are characterized in terms of sociability and nondiscursive symbolism. The benefits of third place involvement are discussed with reference to diversity and novelty, emotional expressiveness, color, and perspective.

Motivation for drinkers and treatment outcome: a study of personal and nonpersonal effects drinkers

Personal effects drinkers seem more likely than nonpersonal effects drinkers to benefit from an alcoholism treatment program emphasizing abstinence and self-actualization.

Reflections on the Treatment Process by Nonabstinent Alcoholics

This study reports on the subjective evaluations of treatment by 162 patients who had been treated and discharged with staff approval at Hazelden Rehabilitation Center. At 2 years following treatment, these patients were asked to comment on what they considered the most important aspects of their treatment experience. Four principal groupings of comments emerged as being most important: (1) Formal Hazelden activities, i.e., lectures, counseling; (2) Inner-directed learning, i.e., understanding, insight; (3) Informal Hazelden activities, i.e., personal friendships, fellowship; and (4) General learning, i.e., effect of alcohol on mind and body. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of the utility of evaluating treatment effectiveness through the subjective judgments of the treated patients.