Back to basics: an exploration of relationship experiences in adults recovering from substance dependence
Date
2016
Authors
Govender, Cassandra P
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Abstract
Substance dependence is a global issue that is becoming significantly more
problematic. This is due to the fact that it does not just have a devastating effect on
the individual but results in profound spin-off effects, which impact society as a
whole. Much research has been conducted within this area and contemporary research
has seemed to focus on the link between attachment styles and substance abuse. Since
its conception by John Bowlby, attachment theory has achieved an empirical authority
that has contributed to its popularity in modern times. However, despite this renewed
interest there still exists a gap in the literature around the role that relationships,
throughout the lifespan, play in areas such as pathology and recovery. Consequently,
this research embarked on an interpretive phenomenological exploration of the way
relationships impact the lives of individuals suffering from substance dependence.
Adults in recovery from substance dependence were individually interviewed about
their experiences of their relationships during and after their years of abusing
substances. Hermeneutical phenomenological analysis was used to analyse this data
and it revealed a typical model of pathology where a negative childhood experience
had cascading effects that culminated in the later dependence on substances.
Participants all highlighted relationships with themselves or others as pivotal to either
seeking substances or to going into recovery. These themes were then located within
Bowlby’s (1976, 1980) developmental pathways framework in order to make sense of
the progression of substance dependence along the lifespan as it manifested in these
participants.
Description
A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the
Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree
of Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology.
Johannesburg, 2016
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Citation
Govender, Cassandra P. (2016) Back to basics: an exploration of relationship experiences in adults recovering from substance dependence, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, <http://hdl.handle.net/10539/21822>