Remorse: A Prescription For Recovery?
So maybe all that guilt your mother laid on you during childhood actually had a purpose
after all. According to a study jointly conducted by the psychology departments at Aston University, Free University of Berlin and Aberdeen University in Scotland, those who regret their behavior while drinking are more likely to remain abstinent in the future.
Says Dr. Richard Cooke of Aston University in Birmingham: “Before embarking on this research I was keen to find out motivations that would make people limit their drinking. Interestingly out of the studies already available on binge drinking and the fact that it is a growing problem within the UK, none of the studies had focused on the impact regret has on binge drinking. The study suggests that modifying attitudes and inducing regret may be effective strategies for reducing binge-drinking intentions among undergraduates, which should reduce subsequent binge-drinking behavior.”
Of course, the study sample was made up entirely of students, so that limits its real-world applicability, but who knows? Maybe one day they will figure out the psychological chemicals that cause remorse and regret, distill it in a pill form and dispense it along with buprenorphine during medical detox and drug rehabilitation treatment.
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November 12th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
This regret factor is synonomous with Moral Reconation Therapy. MRT is used in treatment facilities for youth (and some adults) who are in trouble with the law. It makes the person draw a picture of what the behavior was that brought him/her into the facility. Then the person must draw a picture of everyone who was hurt by this action. It is the actual drawing the pictures of the hurt family, friends, innocent victims that brings tears to the eyes of the young perpetrator. At this point, the youth is encouraged to draw a picture of a different route or outcome that could have been followed. Personally, the person that I am in spite of my addiction has kept me out of jail or the grave. I am a recovering pain pill addict. If I could not get my drug of choice, I would go into withdrawals. My past, my brainwashing of morals by my parents, you name it, the regret factor has kept me from shooting heroin when i could not get my vicodin; I simply refused to bring that element around my children. Now some of you reading this is saying “she was not addicted as I was or she was not hurting enough”. I hurt myself right into the ER, because I was out of hydrocodone (was taking 30 10mg Norcets daily)and went into chest pains from extreme dehydration. The ER doctor wrote me a prescription for 40 Norcet, until I could get into rehab. I am not a saint or a martyr; I am a hard core addict; I am just Elizabeth first. The guilt factor kept me from going into my husband’s place of work and stealing his inventory (he is a retail Pharmacist, and I have had PLENTY of opportunities to just pick up a bottle of one hundred of this or that). However, there is something deep inside of me that just would not allow me to jeopardize his career and our marriage. I have known many doctors who would leave signed prescription pads at home for their wives and/or family members to “help themselves”. I would love to read from others who have managed to rise above the beast and just abstain, for whatever reason. Love u all, liz.
November 21st, 2008 at 1:21 pm
I believe the article does have some truth. There are many ways or possiblities that addictions can occur.