In Modern Terms, What is the “Spiritual Malady” of AA?
The principles of the programme of Alcoholics Anonymous are scientific and closely follow all the helping therapies which lead people to emotional well-being.
A Brief History of Treating Addiction as an Emotional Processing Disorder
Originally posted on Inside The Alcoholic Brain:
A constant thread throughout our blogs so far has been an assertion that alcoholism and addiction are primarily emotional regulation and processing disorders. So we were thus very interested to find this article (1) which describes how we are not the…
Treatment needs to allow addicted clients to “earn Attachment”
In this article (1) we look at attachment in relation to affect regulation and interpersonal functioning among substance use disorders inpatients. The conclusions of this study give some therapeutic insight into how these individuals with insecure attachment even in adulthood need to be facilitated to learn and earn attachment […]
Predicting relapse via extent of emotional dysregulation?
Predicting relapse via extent of emotional dysregulation? by alcoholicsguide Even the most experienced counselors have difficultly spotting a recovering alcoholic in danger of relapse. Brain imaging scans might do a better job according to a study last year by researchers at Yale University. They suggested that alcoholics with […]
Is there an emotional processing problem in alcoholics?
Given the relative paucity of research into the processing of emotions (as opposed to recognition of emotions etc) we will have to consider how a known disorder of emotional processing Alexithymia relates to addiction. Alexythymia and Addiction Effective emotion regulation skills include the ability to be aware of emotions, identify and label […]
Do Neurobiological Models of Addiction predict relapse in Abstinent Alcoholics?
In our previous blog on we looked at automatic physiological response to cues that alcoholics appear to experience. These habitual responses are well explained by reinforcement, conditioning or neurobiological models of addiction. However, do these neurobiological models predict relapse in abstinent alcoholics and addicts? Factors in relapse Cues, […]
Treating Addiction as an Emotional Regulation and Processing Disorder
Treating Addiction as an Emotional Regulation and Processing Disorder Translating accurate diagnosis into effective treatment Around this time last year and just weeks before The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (1), DSM-5, was due to appear, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), […]
Do you have Emotional Regulation Difficulties!?
Addiction reaches beyond the mere result of drug-elicited effects on the brain and cannot be peremptorily equated only with the use of drugs despite the adverse consequences produced. Addiction is a relapsing chronic condition in which these psychiatric manifestations play a crucial role. Thus it may be that […]
Decision Making Deficits
Emotional dysregulation and altered reward sensitivity may underpin impulsive behavior and poor decision-making. Both of these tendencies can be seen in the “real-world” behavior of addicted individuals, but can also be studied using laboratory-based paradigms. Addiction is associated with a loss of control over drug use which continues in […]
Dopaminergic or Positive Reinforcement Theories of Addiction
As we have already suggested we feel that two main modifications need to be considered in relation to existing ‘conditioning’ theories of addiction : – 1. In neurobiological accounts of addiction there is no such thing as a positive or a negative reinforcement model of addiction or, in […]
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