Comparing the themes of salvation in the life stories of successful and unsuccessful quit drinking alcoholics
Subject Areas : Educational
1 - گروه روانشناسی، واحد بویینزهرا، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، بویینزهرا، ایران
Keywords: alcoholics, alcoholism, Drug addiction, salvation life story,
Abstract :
The purpose of this study was to answer the question of whether the themes of salvation in the life stories (ie, the person experiences unpleasant life events as causing positive changes in his character) is different in alcoholics who are successful and unsuccessful in alcohol withdrawal. The population for this study were all alcoholics of Mashhad in 1992 (N=3000), and 127 alcoholics were selected by convenience sampling method. The main research tool were life stories of participants. Control variables were measured using revised life view test (skier, Carver, and Bridges, 1994), depressive feelings subscale of Epidemiological Research Centre depression scale (Radlaf, 1977), positive and negative emotions timing test (Watson, Clark, and Tleejen, 1988), anxiety subscale of short scale of symptoms (Dyragtys, 1975) subscales of the ability and efforts of multidimentional causality scale (Lfkvrt, Van Byayr, Weir, and Cox, 1979), alcohol dependence scale (Skinner and Allen, 1992), the scale of participation in Alcoholics anonymous (Tvnygn, Kanrs, and Miller, 1996), a five-point scale general health of short version health survey (Weir and Sherborne, 1992). Using a causal-comparative design, the life stories of alcoholic who had four or more years of alcohol withdrawal (ie were successful in alcohol) were compared with life stories of alcoholics who were 6 months or less of alcohol withdrawal (ie, unsuccessful in quitting alcohol). The data were analyzed using χ2, rpb, and F. Results showed that successful alcoholics significantly more than unsuccessful ones pointed in their life stories that bitter experience of last alcohol caused positive developments in their characters (p>0/001). This difference remained significant even after statistically controlling for unrelated variables (personality traits, severity of alcohol dependence, physical and mental health, and other themes in the story) (p=0/04). This study proved for the first time that the perception of the unpleasant events of life as factors that have contributed to positive changes in a person, can help to quit alcohol addiction.
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