The treatment facility as coalcoholic

An institution or group has a personality which is different from the individuals who make up the institution or group. An institution functions as a person. It is not just the total of its members. It is a distinct entity. The alcohol treatment facility has the capacity to interact with clients. The relationship can lead to alcoholic "game playing" between the institution and its clients. This can occur regardless of the administrative structure of the facility. the notion of the "game" adopted for this paper comes from Transactional Analysis. According to this theory, the potential game roles include: persecutor, rescuer, victim, patsy, and connection. The roles may be played by the institution as well as the clients. It can perpetuate the alcoholic behavior of the clients. Examples of this process come from clinical observation. Ultimately the potential for change of this situation rests with the self-awareness of the administration and treatment staff as a collective personality. The game can be ended when the players recognize the role playing and refuse to continue to play. The staff and administration are key elements in this recognition and refusal.