Involuntary Admission of Substance Users—Total Institutions Through the Perspective of Individuals Deprived of Rights

Aim: To understand the perception of substance users involuntarily committed to a mental health clinic concerning the institution where they are enclosed against their will. Methods: This is a qualitative research study conducted in a Therapeutic Community in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with nine substance users who were involuntarily committed to the TC. The participant observation technique was also used for data collection. The observation was carried out within the TC premises. The principal investigator used an observation script, focused on the TC infrastructure, hierarchical relationships, work routine and patient care routine, and verbal and non-verbal communication between patients and professionals. Results: Data analysis resulted in four major themes: (1) The individual and the institution; (2) The total institution—hierarchical relationships in the context of the Therapeutic Community; (3) Routine of work and care for the committed substance users; (4) Routine and religious manifestations in the Therapeutic Community. Results reveal Therapeutic Communities are regarded as places that reaffirm the power of the former mental asylum. Conclusions: From the study results, it is possible to conclude that substance users become vulnerable before the rigid structure of Therapeutic Communities, where the non-democratic, homogenous, and sometimes violent environment does not resemble the diverse, plural society to which the individual must return shortly.