Abstract
AimAttachment theory is a broadly used paradigm for understanding human affective development. It is recognized that alexithymia is a key factor responsible for the non-adaptive strategies of regulating emotions in people addicted to alcohol. In addition, an important role is attributed to early childhood trauma and dissociation. The theoretical model was examined, in which connections between attachment styles, trauma, and alexithymia and dissociation were investigated in persons addicted to alcohol.MethodsThe total number of study participants amounted to 268 persons, including 116 women (43% of all subjects) and 152 men (57% of all subjects) at the age of 18–73 (M = 39.19; SD = 13.45). In order to measure the analyzed variables, the following questionnaires were applied: Michigan alcoholism screening test (MAST), attachment styles questionnaire (ASQ), 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), traumatic experiences checklist (TEC), and curious experiences survey (CES).ResultsA comparative analysis between the group of alcohol addicts and non-addicts showed statistically significant differences related to attachment style, intensity of trauma, alexithymia, and dissociation. With structural equation models (i.e., AMOS and GLS), the adjustment of theoretical model to data was examined, which allowed the description of dependency paths. As a result of the conducted analysis of paths, it was found out that the model was accurately fitted to data, but only when an impact path related to a direct connection between an attachment style and an addiction was deleted. This impact is indirect, and from one side, it results from affective and cognitive deficits, i.e., alexithymia, and on the other side, from the intensity of traumatic experiences. No direct impact of dissociation on the development of an inclination to addiction was found, if contextual variables, i.e., alexithymia and trauma, are taken into account. The strongest direct relation was proven in the case of the anxious-ambivalent attachment style and alexithymia (β = 0.389; p < 0.01) and avoidant attachment style and alexithymia (β = 0.497; p < 0.01), which turned out a strong predictor fostering the development of alexithymia and the occurrence of traumas related to emotional negligence and mental violence and finally addiction.ConclusionOur studies revealed how important it is to investigate the role of individual variables in the context of developmental models. An extremely important element of the scientific achievement presented here is showing pillars of trauma, alexithymia, and dissociation in their cumulative impact on the development of emotional disorders resulting in addiction.
Highlights
The definition of alcohol dependence as a set of behavioral and physical symptoms in people who consume large amounts of alcohol, including alcohol withdrawal syndrome, tolerance, and craving, has not changed in the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM)-5 classification (APA, 2013)
We can obtain a constellation of different styles, so each of the subjects is described using three indicators that determine the intensity of the three attachment styles (Plopa, 2008)
In the light of gathered and quoted data, it may be considered that the proposed theoretical model turned out to be useful to deepen the role of understanding individual analyzed factors in the development of disorders of emotional processes related to alcohol dependence development
Summary
The definition of alcohol dependence as a set of behavioral and physical symptoms in people who consume large amounts of alcohol, including alcohol withdrawal syndrome, tolerance, and craving, has not changed in the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM)-5 classification (APA, 2013). People with such disorders often lack awareness of the emotions experienced. Strategies will be largely random or based on short-term consequences and inadequate (Sim and Zeman, 2004) In this view, addicts have a high level of alexithymia (Thorberg et al, 2009). Krystal and Raskin suggest that the substance-dependent individuals felt their affections globally and somatically and had considerable difficulty tolerating painful affects (Krystal, 1988)
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