Date of Award
2020
Document Type
Doctoral Research Paper
Degree Name
Psy.D.
Organizational Unit
Graduate School of Professional Psychology
First Advisor
Judith E. Fox
Second Advisor
Jennifer Tippett
Third Advisor
Nicole Schneider
Keywords
Attachment theory, Substance use, Insecure attachment
Abstract
Substance use treatment addresses addiction behaviors, increasing coping skills, and sobriety but current modalities do not address the insecure attachment styles that may contribute to substance use for many individuals. Insecure attachment styles seemingly have a bidirectional relationship with substance use and are therefore are likely an important aspect of treatment. This case example focuses on an attachment therapist’s work with a young man with a substance use disorder and attachment insecurity. Attachment theory interventions are proposed to address potential contributors of continued substance use. This paper proposes that using attachment theory in combination with existing treatment modalities for substance use would likely increase the efficacy of current treatment models and decrease treatment drop out and relapse rates.
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Publication Statement
Copyright held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Extent
41 pgs
Recommended Citation
Locker, Kathleen, "Treating Substance Use Disorders Through an Attachment Lens: A Case Example" (2020). Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects. 403.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/capstone_masters/403