Call 888-647-0579 to speak with an alcohol or drug abuse counselor.

Who Answers?

Remembering The Good Times Helps Alcoholics Stay Sober

Recovering alcoholics who focus on positive experiences in their past may be more successful in managing their addiction. This is the finding of a study by Sarah Davies and Professor Gail Kinman of the University of Bedfordshire that was presented on the 16th April 2010, at the British Psychological Society’s Annual Conference in Stratford-upon-Avon.

A hundred and one members of Alcoholics Anonymous (53 per cent male) completed questionnaires that assessed the extent to which they were oriented towards the past, present or future, and whether this orientation was mostly positive or negative. They were also asked about their spiritual experiences, level of abstinence, compulsion to drink and anxiety.

The results showed that problem drinkers who were oriented towards the past and who had a positive view of their previous life experiences were more likely to be successful in managing alcohol dependency than those with a more negative focus on the past. Participants who held a present hedonistic orientation (focusing on having fun in the here and now) also tended to experience stronger compulsions to drink alcohol.

High levels of spirituality were also found to be a protective factor in helping recovering alcoholics stay sober and manage the anxiety associated with addiction and withdrawal.

Sarah Davies said: “Our findings suggest that therapeutic interventions that help problem drinkers view their past experiences more positively might aid recovery. It is also likely that helping addicts develop a more balanced time perspective, where they are not exclusively oriented towards the past, the present or the future, will be helpful.

“The findings of this study also highlight the important role played by spirituality in helping people recover from alcoholism. This provides strong support for therapies which emphasise the importance of gaining purpose and meaning in life such as the 12-step approach advocated by Alcoholics Anonymous.”

source: British Psychological Society

More Treatment & Detox Articles

Study Finds that Most Addicts are Not Receiving the Best Treatment

Anyone who has dealt closely with addiction knows that it is a terrible disease. Those who live with addiction struggle with temptation, shame and guilt as a result of their addiction to a point in which is totally disrupts any chance at a normal lifestyle. Treatment for addiction is based on medical approaches, scientific advancements….

10 Consequences of Cocaine Abuse

cocaine addiction effects and consequences

About Cocaine According to the Center for Substance Abuse Research, cocaine is a highly addictive and a commonly abused illegal drug. Cocaine is a stimulant, and is currently a Schedule II substance. Stimulant drugs heighten a user’s body’s activity, including increasing their energy, alertness, heart rate, and blood pressure. The most commonly used form of….

Alcohol addiction-an overview

Alcohol is an intoxicating liquid, obtained from the fermentation of grains or fruits. The different types of these liquid are the beer, wine and other hard liquors. People in habit of regularly consuming these liquids are sure to develop a compulsive need of these liquids over a period of time, which is commonly termed as….

When spirits fuel the muse: Examining alcoholism and madness in literature and film

Here’s a statistic you won’t pick up in English 101: Of eight native-born Americans awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, five were alcoholics, including Sinclair Lewis and Eugene O’Neill. “Alcohol is a factor if not the central focus of the three top modern novelists – Hemingway, Faulkner and Fitzgerald,” says Michael Carolan, an M.F.A. candidate….

Recognizing the Need for Alcohol Addiction Treatment

It’s never too late to seek help for an addiction to alcohol but there are some ways that we can learn to recognize the need for alcohol addiction treatment long before the severe consequences and physical illness begin to fully set in. If you or someone you love drinks alcohol regularly, there’s a chance that….