Coming to Terms With Reality: Predictors of Self-deception Within Substance Abuse Recovery

Abstract

Objectives It is argued that drug and alcohol addiction centers on denial and self-delusion, and successful recovery depends on coming to terms with such problems. Mutual-help programs for substance abuse recovery (eg, 12-step programs) and self-run recovery homes (eg, Oxford House) might decrease self-deception through emphasis on facing reality, strict abstinence rules, and empowering people to direct their own course of recovery. Methods The present study examined how recovery processes (12-step programs vs. recovery residence), substance use, and race/ethnicity predicted self-deception among adult residents of self-run recovery homes (359 men, 152 women). Results Twelve-step participation but not recovery home residency significantly predicted decreased self-deception across a 4-month period. In addition, race/ethnicity was a significant predictor of self-deception, with African Americans reporting higher levels of self-deception than participants of other racial groups. Conclusions It is suggested that substance abusing individuals look to 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous to reduce denial and gain a realistic self-view, critical steps in addiction recovery.

Biased labels: An experimental study of language and stigma among individuals in recovery and health professionals

“…It may be of greater importance to determine the role of negative associations in identity reformation and catharsis, particularly with a disorder that involves high degrees of self-deception, denial, and blame, such as SUD. This may be particularly true of 12-step members who often adopt such labels as a form of self-truth or honesty as a means of counterbalancing against self-deception (Ferrari, Groh, Rulka, Jason, & Davis, 2008). Thus, negative associations do not necessarily translate to negative effects for the individual if the negativity serves an identity function and is a plausible divergent explanation for our results.…”

Deficits in emotion-regulation skills predict alcohol use during and after cognitive–behavioral therapy for alcohol dependence.

“…However, the finding that the AD sample reported less deficits in emotion-regulation skills than did the MDD sample also suggests that the availability of specific emotion regulation-skills differs across disorders, and that such deficits might be more important for the development and maintenance of MDD (as an “emotional disorder”) than for AD. Alternatively, at least to a certain extent, the MDD-AD differences might also be explained by assuming a disorder-specific bias in the perception, evaluation, and report of skills: Depressed individuals are more likely to underestimate their skills when compared with non-depressed individuals (e.g., Johnson, Petzel, Hartney, & Morgan, 1983), whereas AD has been associated with the phenomenon of overconfidence, such as the systematic over-evaluation of the ability to remain abstinent (e.g., Ferrari, Groh, Rulka, Jason, & Davis, 2008). …”

Self-deception as affective coping. An empirical perspective on philosophical issues

“…On the other hand, as was just explained with the case of addicts, this positive anticipation can come with a drop in prefrontal cortex activation and can thus take precedence over rational cognition. As noted, addicts are more prone to deceive themselves (Ferrari, Groh, Rulka, Jason, & Davis, 2008;Walker, 2010). The decrease of frontal lobe activation in conjunction with the increase in the dopamine system should lead to a neurobiological situation favoring self-deception to its maximum.…”