Drug addiction and the related acting out behaviour protects the person from experiencing pain and fear from a variety of origins. Most drug addicts, however, show a defect in their ego-development, especially during the separation/ individuation phase. This results in the development of a false identity with projection as the main defence mechanism. The addict shows a serious lack of selfesteem and a considerable distrust in other people, who are usually seen as a potential source of pain. This makes the drug addict usually unsuitable for the traditional methods of psychotherapy. In the structured environment of the therapeutic community the lack of trust in others can be slowly restored. The acting out behaviour is changed into direct emotional confrontation with others. The resident learns to deal with conflicts, rejection and success. The therapeutic factors in the therapeutic community are described and the followup results are given of a cohort of residents that happened to be present in the therapeutic community for addicts Emiliehoeve on one chosen day.