Psychological therapies

Cao, from the rehabilitation department, said the new techniques to treat repeat offenders are less reliant on the use of medication that mimics the effect of the drugs.

"Patients become physically dependent on the medication, which means they often fall into a vicious cycle because they abandon the medication and then relapse," he said.

Moreover, relying on medication for long periods can affect health, both physical and mental, and can even lead some addicts into criminal activity, posing a serious threat to social stability, he added.

"We are applying VR and transcranial magnetic stimulation technologies－considered to be safe physical measures－to effectively evaluate addicts and help them get off drugs," he said.

According to Zhang Lijun, deputy director of the Law and Regulation Department at the rehabilitation center, 1,000 male addicts ages 18 to 60 are currently undergoing compulsory narcotic detoxification programs at the facility.

At the start of the two-year program, most undergo two weeks of intensive detoxification.

"In the first week, addicts with obvious symptoms caused by the drugs take methadone to alleviate the withdrawal symptoms, and the dose is gradually reduced," he said.

Li Na, director of the center's Psychological Consultation Department, said the priority is to use "updated measures, including psychological courses and new technologies, to eradicate the mental addiction to drugs".

Her team divides addicts into groups based on their addiction history and level of dependence and provides them with tailored psychological therapies. These include idiodynamics－which emphasizes the role of personality in choosing stimuli and governing responses－music therapy and sand play therapy, in which the placement of small figures in a sandbox is believed to reveal inner desires.

These forms of "expressive therapy" are intended to help calm the addicts, help them to control their emotions and actions, and gradually abandon drugs

"There are 40 qualified psychologists working at the center alongside 140 police officers. They offer free psychological consultations for drug users," Li said.

In addition to psychological therapies, the addicts take classes in law and study classical Chinese culture to make them more law－abiding and teach them to be patient when dealing with people and challenging situations.

The center also requires addicts to attend physical training courses, including running and jumping exercises, along with basketball games or tai chi to improve their physical fitness.

They are also offered vocational training, such as cooking, tailoring and hairdressing skills, to facilitate a smooth return to society.

"The physical exercise fosters team spirit, boosts their sense of honor and helps to recover their cognitive ability, all of which are conducive to psychological rehabilitation," said Xu Kaiyang, a physical exercise coach at the center.

Zhang said the center will invest more funds to purchase advanced equipment, such as virtual reality apparatus that can evaluate the level of addiction, and then adopt targeted psychological and physical approaches to assist the addicts.

According to Li, some people become so heavily addicted, both physically and psychologically, that they are unable to derive pleasure from anything but drugs.

Most of the new psychological and physical exercises are used to "cultivate the addicts' interest in life, and provide a way of relieving pressure and anxiety that doesn't involve drug use", she said.