Auf der Suche nach einem autonomen und freudvollen Leben

"People at the centre" - this has been the premise of the Anton Proksch Institute for more than 60 years, helping its patients to find their way to a self-determined life. The success story of the institute, which actually consists of tens of thousands of individual success stories, has become inseparable from Prim. Prof. Dr Michael Musalek. I would like to take his retirement as Medical Director after 16 years in this function as an opportunity to honour his important work. Michael Musalek has driven a real paradigm shift in addiction treatment by not - as was previously the case - viewing abstinence as the sole goal of treatment. Rather, abstinence is an important sub-goal as the basis for a process of change that should lead to those affected being able to resume a joyful and autonomous life. Life should be enriched with so many beautiful things that the addictive substance becomes less and less attractive. In a nutshell, this is the core of the Orpheus programme, the implementation of which at the Anton Proksch Institute is Michael Musalek's greatest professional achievement." (From the foreword by Richard Gauss, President of the Anton Proksch Institute Foundation Vienna) The commemorative publication brings together texts by Michael Musalek's companions, which together represent the state of the art of contemporary addiction treatment.