The dilemma of adolescents experiencing self-stigma to quit drugs

Objectives: The study aims to explore the dilemma of adolescents who experience self-stigma to quit drugs while undergoing drug rehabilitation. Methods: This study was used a descriptive phenomenological approach; semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 adolescent drug abusers in three types of study sites selected using a purposive sampling design. Participants consisted of adolescent drug abusers (10–19 years old), currently undergoing drug rehabilitation, experiencing high self-stigma, not having verbal communication barriers, and not having physical ailments. Data analysis was guided by Collaizzi’s approach to gain an in-depth understanding and analysis of participants’ experiences. Results: Two things that make drug-using adolescents experience a dilemma to quit drugs while undergoing rehabilitation are the emergence of motivation and feeling obstacles to quitting drugs. Motivation comes from within and outside oneself, whereas obstacles are felt in the form of fear of other people’s reactions and inability to control oneself. Conclusion: There are several considerations including the realm of self, family, and environment that make adolescents with self-stigma feel in a dilemma to quit drugs. The rehabilitation institutions must involve various parties comprehensively and sustainably, as long as adolescents start rehabilitation until they return to the community. Future studies regarding the correlation between the demographic characteristics of self-stigma and the dilemma of adolescents undergoing rehabilitation also the impact of self-stigma on self-control, motivation, and stopping drug use can be carried out involving female subjects to describe the intervention to increase adolescent’s self-confidence to quit drugs.