The purpose of this study was to measure;

• spiritual well-being (SWB),
• private religious practices (PRP),
• positive religious coping,
• abstinence self-efficacy (AASE),
• affiliation with AA (AAA), and
• their associations with alcoholics in treatment.

Seventy-four adults in a three-week outpatient addiction treatment program were assessed at admission and discharge.

Wilcoxon signed rank and t tests demonstrated significant increases in all variables. Spearman correlation coefficients detected significant associations between the spiritual variables, SWB and AASE, as well as PRP and AAA.

Findings suggest that spiritual variables can change during treatment and that there may be connections between spiritual variables and variables associated with longer-term recovery.

Research; Piderman KM, Schneekloth TD, Pankratz VS, Maloney SD, Altchuler SI. Spirituality in alcoholics during treatment. Am J Addict. 2007 May-Jun;16(3):232-7.

See also;

• Twelve Step Facilitation
• Relapse Prevention

A qualitative study of Alcoholics Anonymous members and South Asian men.

The spiritual aspect of recovery for people with drinking problems was explored in a comparative analysis of South Asian men recovering from drink problems and white members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).

In-depth semi-structured interviews were carried out with participants to explore significant factors that assisted recovery. Interviews were analyzed using grounded theory. Ten participants in total were interviewed; 5 were South Asian men receiving individual and/or group counseling with South Asian therapists either in an NHS or non-statutory specialist alcohol treatment service, and 5 were white members of AA.

Models of recovery for the two groups were developed and are presented.

Spirituality and religion played an important role in the experiences of recovery described by AA and South Asian participants respectively.

For AA participants their experiences reflected those described in AA’s Big Book although concepts such as that of a Higher Power were complex and multilayered, with spirituality just one, albeit significant, aspect.

South Asian participants generally underwent a re-affirmation of existing beliefs rather than the conversion type of experience described by AA participants.

The findings are discussed in relation to implications for service delivery and development and directions for future research.

Morjaria, A.; Orford, J. Role of religion and spirituality in recovery from drink problems: A qualitative study of alcoholics anonymous members and South Asian men. Addiction Research and Theory, 10(3):225-256, 2002.

The Spirituality of Imperfection: Storytelling and the Search for Meaning by Ernest Kurtz, Katherine Ketcham Read more about this title…

Alcoholics Anonymous and church involvement as predictors of sobriety among three ethnic treatment populations

This study examines the impact of spirituality and religiousness, and involvement in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) on sobriety among three ethnic groups, African Americans, Caucasians, and Hispanics.

Participants (African Americans: n = 253; Hispanics: n = 60, and Caucasians: n = 538) completed survey questionnaires upon entry into public, private, and health maintenance treatment programs.

Results indicated that among the three groups, African Americans, who described themselves as more religious, were less likely to substitute church attendance for participation in Alcoholics Anonymous.

African Americans reporting high AA attendance at the end of one year, in addition to church attendance, were more likely to report sobriety over the past 30 days than were those African Americans reporting only high church attendance.

Among Caucasians and Hispanics, participants reporting primarily high AA attendance were more likely to report past 30 day sobriety.

Research report; Roland, E.J.; Kaskutas, L.A. Alcoholics anonymous and church involvement as predictors of sobriety among three ethnic treatment populations. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 20(1):61-77, 2002.

Spirituality religiosity promotes acceptance based responding and 12-step involvement.

BACKGROUND: Previous investigations have observed that spirituality/religiosity (S/R) is associated with enhanced 12-step involvement. However, relatively few studies have attempted to examine the mechanisms for this effect. For the present investigation, we examined whether acceptance-based responding (ABR) – awareness or acknowledgement of internal experiences that allows one to consider and perform potentially adaptive responses – accounted for the effect of S/R on 12-step self-help group involvement 2 years after a treatment episode.

METHODS: Data were collected as part of a multi-site treatment outcome study with 3698 substance-dependent male veterans recruited at baseline. Assessments were conducted at baseline, discharge, 1-year follow-up, and 2-year follow-up. We utilized structural equation modeling to examine the relationships among latent variables of S/R, ABR, and 12-step involvement over time.

RESULTS: In the final model, S/R was not directly related to 12-step involvement at 2-year follow-up. However, S/R predicted enhanced ABR at 1-year follow-up after accounting for discharge levels of ABR. In turn, ABR at 1-year follow-up predicted increased 12-step involvement at 2-year follow-up after accounting for discharge levels of 12-step involvement.

CONCLUSIONS: S/R promotes the use of post-treatment self-regulation skills that, in turn, directly contribute to ongoing 12-step self-help group involvement.

Research report; Carrico AW, Gifford EV, Moos RH. Spirituality religiosity promotes acceptance based responding and 12-step involvement Drug Alcohol Depend. 2007 Jun 15;89(1):66-73.

Conversations with God : An Uncommon Dialogue (Book 1)

Beyond Codependency: And Getting Better All the Time

By Melody Beattie

Review By Neal J. Pollock (VA USA)

While I have not read Melody Beattie’s other works, I thought this a very valuable book in and of itself. It sheds much light on the topic and helped me to become sensitized to the obvious signs of codependency in people. By doing this, it enabled me to avoid situations where I could become codependent in a relationship.

I think that, as in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, there are levels of psychological situations and/or problems. Thus, there may be people inherently inclined towards codependency, but there may also be people who are thrust into it due to the demands of others. The latter may find this book incredibly helpful in avoiding such relationships and in helping their dependent person seek real help vs. codependency from another person. There are also a number of great quotes by the author in this book. A few are:

p. 70: “It’s hard to feel compassion for someone while that person is using or victimizing us.”

p. 71: “If everything looks black, we’ve probably got our eyes shut.”

p. 164: “Who we’re in a relationship with says as much about us as it does about them.” Earnie Tucker (quoted by Melody Beattie)

Codependency is not something to make light of, it’s as much (if not more) the codependent’s problem as the dependent’s. As Caroline Casey humorously noted in “Making the Gods Work for You” (Harmony Books NY 1998), on page 72:
“What do codependents see when they die? Someone else’s life flashes before their eyes.”

This is literally a life-changing book for codependents.

Reviewer: A reader

Once Melody Beattie’s Codependent No More has been “digested”, Beyond Codependency helps to move the recovering codependent past the hurt and on to the business of literally changing behaviors and making a better life. I absolutely recommend this book above any others to recovering codependents.

Abstinence and well-being among members of alcoholics anonymous: Personal experience and social perceptions.

The subjective experience of well being was examined in abstinent Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) members. In addition, the social perceptions of an abstinent alcoholic’s well being were examined in three nonalcoholic French-Canadian samples:

• male police officers,
• Catholic nuns, and
• university women.

The lowest ratings of well being were reported by

• short-term abstinent AA members and
• university women,

The highest ratings were reported by Catholic nuns.

However, the level of well being among abstinent AA members was positively related to the length of abstention.

The three nonalcoholic groups evaluated an abstinent AA member more positively than a non-abstinent alcoholic.

These evaluations of an abstinent AA member converged with the AA members’ self-evaluations on the measure of well being.

Research; Kairouz, S.; Dibe, L. Abstinence and well-being among members of alcoholics anonymous: Personal experience and social perceptions. Journal of Social Psychology, 140(5):565-579, 2000

What does the Brief-TSF model look like?

How does the Brief-TSF model work?

Defining the Brief-TSF processes

This model brings together three people to achieve sobriety in one of them. These are the;

• experiential contributor (AA Peer Sponsor) and
• professional care (Twelve Step Facilitator) to collaborate in facilitating self help recovery for the
• alcoholic (normally known as the patient or client).

Each of the three people brings to the intervention knowledge’s and functions known as ‘domains of praxes’. Within each domain are the constituents of experience, training, perceptions, goals and capabilities.

Functional Domain

The Brief Twelve Step Facilitator facilitates self-assessment by the patient, introduces them to a ‘Peer Sponsor’ and facilitates understanding of the ‘Program of Recovery’. In addition the healthcare worker assesses and addresses or refers the patient for any co-morbidities.

The Peer Sponsor shares their ‘experience, strength and hope’ with the patient, provides initial resources to attend meetings, introduces the ‘Newcomer’ to Alcoholics Anonymous members and explains the program of recovery from drinking.

The patient chooses what, when, and how they can use information, from each of the providers. This is true Self help within a paradigm of mutual help.

Additionally, the patient is supported in seeking professional treatment/therapy for other issues.

Recovery Domain

Each participant maintains their integrity and independence within their domain.

The primary goal of Brief-TSF is affiliation with Alcoholics Anonymous as described in the Stages of AA Affiliation.

Recovery includes attending AA meetings and other activities, stopping drinking, ‘working’ the program of recovery and consulting with a peer sponsor within an affiliation scheme.

The whole facilitated process producing a ‘Domain of Recovery’.

Disease Domain

Alcoholism is a primary, chronic, progressive three fold disease – mental, physical and spiritual. Alcohol dependence is fatal if not arrested by abstaining from alcohol.

Each participant has a hand in recovery

Helping other Alcoholics and Relapse

The specific mechanisms of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) that mobilize and sustain behavior change are poorly understood.

This study examined the relationship between helping other alcoholics in AA and relapse in the year following treatment for alcohol use disorders. Data were derived from a longitudinal investigation of the efficacy of three behavioral treatments for alcohol abuse and dependence (Project MATCH). Probabilities of time to alcohol relapse were calculated using Kaplan-Meier survival estimates. Proportional hazards regressions, with control for number of AA meetings attended, were conducted to determine whether the likelihood of relapse was lower for those who were helping other alcoholics.

those who were helping other alcoholics . . . were significantly less likely to relapse in the year following treatment

Age was the only demographic characteristic that distinguished participants involved in helping other alcoholics; those who were helping other alcoholics were, on average, 3 years older than those who were not helping alcoholics and were significantly less likely to relapse in the year following treatment, independent of the number of AA meetings attended.

Thus recovering alcoholics who help other alcoholics (mutual-help) maintain long-term sobriety after formal treatment are better able to maintain their own sobriety.

The authors conclude that clinicians who treat substance abuse disorders should encourage their clients to help other recovering alcoholics to stay sober.

Research report; Pagano ME, Friend KB, Tonigan JS, and Stout RL. Helping other alcoholics in alcoholics anonymous and drinking outcomes: Findings from Project MATCH. Journal of Studies on Alcohol 65(6):766-773, November 2004.