The Manjakkudi experience: a camp approach towards treating alcoholics.

A new approach towards treating alcoholics in a rural population is discussed in this paper. This approach is referred to as the "camp approach". The first such camp was organized in a rural place called Manjakkudi, a village located in Thanjavur District, Tamil Nadu, India. The first camp was held in 1989 and after that three more such camps were conducted in Manjakkudi over a period of 4 years. A total of 105 patients was treated in these camps. Though this treatment programme is similar to the main programme which we follow at T. T. Ranganathan Clinical Research Foundation in the city, slight modifications were made to suit the rural environment. The details of the programme are discussed in this paper. Total abstinence is the goal. This paper examines the results of the four camps conducted at Manjakkudi and attempts to gain an insight into the factors responsible for such a gratifying outcome.