Shame, Guilt, and Alcoholism: Treatment Issues in Clinical Practice, Second Edition

by Ron Potter-Efron, Bruce Carruth

Overview

Explore the causes and effects of the shame/guilt/addiction cycle!

Since the original edition in 1989, great strides have been made in understanding the overlapping functions of shame and guilt and the ways these painful emotions are linked with addictions. Shame, Guilt, and Alcoholism: Treatment Issues in Clinical Practice, Second Edition, integrates up-to-date psychological research with penetrating insight into the emotional realities of substance abuse. It provides a clear and practical model for understanding the shame/guilt/addiction cycle.

Shame, Guilt, and Alcoholism provides constructive suggestions to therapists for treating substance-abusing clients and their affected family members. By treating destructive, inappropriate, or excessive shame and guilt, therapists can help their clients free themselves from the downward spiral of addiction and begin to build on their genuine strengths. It explores the positive functions of shame and guilt, describes the conscious and subconscious defense mechanisms against them, and highlights the crucial family behaviors that initiate and encourage shame and guilt.

Shame, Guilt, and Alcoholism thoroughly explains the significant differences between shame and guilt, including:

• clients’experiences of failure
• primary responses and feelings
• precipitating events and involvement of self
• origins and central fears
  
  Shame, Guilt, and Alcoholism adds immeasurably to our understanding of the total recovery process. It is an essential resource for therapists, social workers, psychologists, substance-abuse counselors, and educators in the field.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781317788508
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	12/16/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	259
File size:	771 KB

About the Author

Ron Potter-Efron, Bruce Carruth

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Overview: Shame, Guilt, and Alcoholism; Chapter 2 Models of Shame and Addiction; Chapter 3 Shame, Vulnerability, and the Four Spheres of Self; Chapter 4 Defenses Against Shame; Chapter 5 Guidelines for the Treatment of Shame; Chapter 6 The Treatment of Shame with Alcoholic Clients; Chapter 7 Adaptive and Maladaptive Guilt As Related to Addiction; Chapter 8 The Treatment of Guilt—General Considerations; Chapter 9 The Treatment of Guilt with Alcoholic or Addicted Clients; Chapter 10 Common Shame and Guilt Themes in Families Affected by Alcoholism or Addiction; Chapter 11 Alcoholics Anonymous, Shame, and Guilt; Chapter 12 Creative Approaches to Shame and Guilt: Helping the Adult Child of an Alcoholic, Patricia S. Potter-Efron;

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Gary B Kaniuk, PsyD (Cermak Health Services)
Description: The book highlights the role that shame and guilt play in alcoholism, presenting both theoretical and treatment issues. The first edition was published in 1989.
Purpose: According to the author, "the central goals in this book remain to help therapists understand how alcoholism and addiction is linked with shame and guilt and how they can best treat individuals who are chemically dependent, guilty, and ashamed." These are worthy objectives, which the book meets.
Audience: The book is written for practitioners, according to the author. In my judgment, the book is most useful for those treating individuals with addictive behaviors. However, graduate students could definitely benefit from it as well. The author is a credible authority in the subject matter because he has written many books on the topic and is a full-time mental health and substance abuse counselor.
Features: The author covers theoretical and treatment issues regarding the role of shame and guilt in alcoholism. He integrates parts of five different theoretical models: the disease model, self psychology, affect theory, family systems theory, and functional theory. He gives specific guidelines for working with shame and guilt, including good case examples.
Assessment: I really enjoyed this book because it covers the subject matter so completely. It is extremely practical and can be used easily with clients. The integration of theory with practice is superb. This second edition justifies replacing the first because it includes the latest research findings, which have been numerous over the past decade.

Doody's Review Service