Attachment, fear of intimacy and differentiation of self among clients in substance disorder treatment facilities

Mood and interpersonal functioning in heavy smokers

“…This fits with previous reports of positive associations between insecure attachment and substance use (Brennan & Shaver, 1995;Burge et al, 1997;Cooper et al, 1998;Dottan et al, 2003;Ognibene & Collins, 1998). Present results are also consistent with the notion that insecure attachment and fear of intimacy may be potential risk factors for heavy substance use (Thorberg & Lyvers, 2006b), in this case smoking.…”

“…Fear of intimacy was defined as "...the inhibited capacity of an individual, because of anxiety, to exchange thoughts and feelings of personal significance with another individual who is highly valued" (p.219). Consistent with Descutner and Thelen's view, research by Thorberg and Lyvers (2006b) indicated that individuals with substance disorders reported higher levels of fear of intimacy than did non-addict controls. Descutner and Thelen found significant correlations between fear of intimacy, as assessed by their Fear of Intimacy Scale (FIS), and loneliness, lack of selfdisclosure and low social interaction.…”

“…Similarly, Thorberg and Lyvers (2006b) found that detoxified inpatients undergoing addiction treatment scored significantly lower on Close and…”

“…Dottan et al (2003) found that detoxified outpatient heroin addicts and poly-drug abusers exhibited an insecure attachment style. A recent study by Thorberg and Lyvers (2006b) indicated that insecure attachment characterizes clients enrolled in addiction treatment programs compared to non-addict controls. Although some researchers have proposed a link between substance abuse/dependence and insecure attachment, no study to date has assessed the potential link between heavy smoking, arguably the most common form of drug dependence, and attachment.…”

Substance Abuse and Insecure Attachment Styles: A Relational Study

“…Thus, during times of stress those with insecure attachments may resort to abusing substances in order to cope with their circumstances. Thorberg and Lyvers (2006) stated that clients who were undergoing treatment for alcoholism, heroin addiction, or cannabis abuse reported higher levels of insecure attachment and fear of intimacy. More recently Thorberg and Lyvers (2010) stated that their findings support that attachment is associated with and predicts affect regulation abilities, difficulties with intimacy, and intrapersonal as well as interpersonal functioning in a sample of substance use disorder inpatients.…”