IMPASSES IN ADOLESCENCE: CONTEMPORARY NARRATIVES ABOUT HELPLESSNESS AND DRUG ADDICTION

In this investigation, we addresses the recurrent connection between adolescence and drug addiction as it is observed in the contemporary context. From the Content Analysis Technique, we establish four categories a priori to work the material from interviews with three adolescent who were in treatment in public health services for drug abuse. This work was based on the contributions of Psychoanalysis, emphasizing the adolescent transition, the notion of helplessness and the relation between compulsion and death drive. It was possible to access and explore the conditions present in the life history of these teens that lead to affirm the importance of giving priority to listening and understanding the elements that lead to seeking and using drugs for the adolescent. Psychoanalysis, by providing the subject an insight into the uniqueness of their history and experience, enables to expand the possibilities for intervening before the manifestations of psychic pain.