Humanistic Perspective and Addiction
Tia Gardner
September 21, 2012
Humanistic Perspective and Addiction
There are several theories of addiction. All of them are imperfect. All are partial explanations. It is for this reason that it is important to be aware of and question addiction theories.
One contemporary psychoanalytical view of substance abuse is that it is a defense against anxiety (Thombs D 2006). Addicts often abuse alcohol and other substances to guard against anxiety and other painful feelings like shame, guilt, loneliness and depression. Psychological problems including substance abuse disorders are viewed as a result of inhibited ability to make authentic, meaningful, and self directed choices about how to live.
The Humanistic Perspective views the human nature as basically good, with a natural potential to maintain healthy, meaningful relationships and to make choices that are in the best interest of self and others. Humanistic and existential psychotherapies use a wide range of approaches to case conceptualization, therapeutic goals, intervention strategies, and research methodologies. Consequently, interventions are aimed at increasingly client self-awareness and self-understanding.
Humanistic and existential therapies delve to a much deeper level, to issues related to substance abuse disorders and addiction, often serving as a catalyst for finding alternatives to fill the emptiness that the addict may be feeling.
In the 1970s, there was a breakthrough in receiving insurance reimbursement for treatment of addictive disorders-an agreement between Smithers Rehabilitation Program and Blue Cross/Blue Shield of New York designating the 28-day rehab benefit. Addictive behavior was now considered a primary illness, a symptomatic expression of an underlying mental disorder. Axis II disorders were not considered "serious" mental illnesses whose treatment could be underwritten by insurance companies and, later, by managed-care policy makers.
September 21, 2012
Humanistic Perspective and Addiction
There are several theories of addiction. All of them are imperfect. All are partial explanations. It is for this reason that it is important to be aware of and question addiction theories.
One contemporary psychoanalytical view of substance abuse is that it is a defense against anxiety (Thombs D 2006). Addicts often abuse alcohol and other substances to guard against anxiety and other painful feelings like shame, guilt, loneliness and depression. Psychological problems including substance abuse disorders are viewed as a result of inhibited ability to make authentic, meaningful, and self directed choices about how to live.
The Humanistic Perspective views the human nature as basically good, with a natural potential to maintain healthy, meaningful relationships and to make choices that are in the best interest of self and others. Humanistic and existential psychotherapies use a wide range of approaches to case conceptualization, therapeutic goals, intervention strategies, and research methodologies. Consequently, interventions are aimed at increasingly client self-awareness and self-understanding.
Humanistic and existential therapies delve to a much deeper level, to issues related to substance abuse disorders and addiction, often serving as a catalyst for finding alternatives to fill the emptiness that the addict may be feeling.
In the 1970s, there was a breakthrough in receiving insurance reimbursement for treatment of addictive disorders-an agreement between Smithers Rehabilitation Program and Blue Cross/Blue Shield of New York designating the 28-day rehab benefit. Addictive behavior was now considered a primary illness, a symptomatic expression of an underlying mental disorder. Axis II disorders were not considered "serious" mental illnesses whose treatment could be underwritten by insurance companies and, later, by managed-care policy makers.