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Introduction: Alcohol misuse emerges from a complex range of psychopathological experiences, and personal and cultural values. For this reason, understanding the reasons why a person seeks treatment is crucial to effective care. This study aims to identify the values which guide the decision-making process of persons seeking voluntary hospitalization for treatment for alcohol misuse, as well as their relevant persons. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted through interviews with 25 individuals (and a family member) who had voluntarily admitted themselves to a public hospital in São Paulo, Brazil, with the objective of maintaining abstinence from alcohol dependence. The aim of the interview was to identify the values that influenced their decision to interrupt the use of alcohol, their expectations of the care and its success. Results: The main factors that determined the treatment seeking decision were: damage to social relationships, and fear of illness and deterioration of the physical condition; the factors related to treatment expectations were restoring personality and awareness of morbidity; and the single factor considered most important to the success of the treatment was willpower. Conclusions: The results of this study contribute to bringing care closer to the patients’ perspective of the disease, and encourage their active participation in the formulation of therapeutic strategies.
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