Self concept reports among hospitalized alcoholics during early periods of sobriety.

Abstract

Self-concept reports of 35 hospitalized male alcoholics, as measured by the McKmney Sentence Completion Blank, were examined for relationships with the sobriety interval in the hospital setting. A negative relationship (r-.33) was noted between the length of time sober and the index of a favorable concept of self, and a positive correlation (r = .24) resulted from measures of the sobriety interval and responses indicating self defeat, guilt and fear. Mechanisms of these relationships were discussed in the framework of Dabrowski's (1964) theory of "positive disintegration." There is some suggestion that the longer the alcoholic remained in the hospital and abstained from alcohol, the less favorable self concept he reported, the more guilt feelings he expressed and the less ego strength he demonstrated in facing up to crises.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. High: Multidimensional scaling of alcoholics' self-evaluations.

“…For example, Chodorkoff (1964) claimed that alcoholics need to support their deficient ego through physiological changes rendered by alcoholic intoxication. In a similar vein, White and Porter (1966) reported that self-concepts of hospitalized alcoholics become less favorable as the duration of abstinence increases. Furthermore, Hurvitz and Lelos (1968) concluded that alcoholics have a conflicting selfimage, presenting a dominant facade yet yearning for a dependent role.…”