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Addiction creates more and more risks for humanity. Globalization
has led to rapidly changing lifestyles, and has facilitated access to
addictive substances and new technologies with addictive functions.
Due to their rapid spread, efforts to fight against addiction have
become more challenging. Dr. Mehmet Dinç, Acting President of Green
Crescent, emphasized that, for this reason, more weight should be
given to preventive efforts, and said: “As Green Crescent, our target
audience is all humanity. We struggle to ensure that afflicted people
rid themselves of their addictions, while preventing those without
addictions from ever becoming addicts. Our focus is on the health and
happiness of all humanity.”
Research has shown that despite
significant efforts around the world
to fight against addiction, the
problem keeps growing. What point
do you think has been reached in the
world in the fight against addiction,
and are the studies that have been
conducted to date sufficient?
As a multidimensional issue, addiction
has become a serious problem that is
gradually increasing around the world.
The fact that this problem is growing
day-by-day does not mean that states,
non-governmental
organizations
(NGOs),
health
institutions
and
universities around the world are
not engaged in sufficient studies of
the issue. Far from it, they have been
carrying out more and more activities
and producing many more projects
with the aim of fighting against
addiction. However, the point we have
reached and the information we have
garnered to date show us that the
existing studies are not enough to fight
against addiction. In today’s world,
addiction is a multi-faceted problem
that is spreading at a speed that is
almost impossible for existing studies
to keep up with, and the transitions
between these studies occur quite fast.
Can you tell us the reasons behind
the increasing rate of addiction in
today’s world?
Rapid changes are occurring in every
field around the world. With the
introduction of globalization into our
lives, people’s psychological resilience
has weakened gradually in line with
the associated change in lifestyles
from top to bottom, causing a serious
weakening in close relationships, and
a rise of social crises and economic
problems. Here, I would like to touch
on a very basic issue.
Photo: Halil Altınta
DR. MEHMET DİNÇ,
ACTING PRESIDENT OF GREEN CRESCENT:
“WE AIM FOR
THE HEALTH AND
HAPPINESS OF
ALL HUMANITY”
He completed his undergraduate
education in the Marmara University
Department of Guidance and Psychological
Counseling. He received his master’s
degree in education from RMIT University
and his master’s degree in clinical
psychology from Okan University , before
obtaining his doctoral degree from
Marmara University. He served as the
President of the Psychological Counselors
Platform and the Australian Turkish
Institute. He is currently a faculty member
in the Department of Psychology of Hasan
Kalyoncu University. He serves currently
as the Acting President of Green Crescent;
as a Board Member of the Association of
Culture, Society and Family; as the Turkey
Representative of the Dulwich Center
for Narrative Therapy; as the Turkey
Representative of the RMIT University
Alumni Association; and as a Member
of the Advisory Board of the Cognitive
Behavioral Psychotherapy and Research
Journal.
He has written three books, namely
İnternet Bağımlılığı, Gençliğe Kitabe
and
Psikolojiye Giriş
, in which he is the co-
author with Prof. Dr. Kemal Sayar. He has
also written eight book chapters.
WHO IS DR. MEHMET DİNÇ?
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