Testing the abstinence violation effect construct with marijuana cessation

Our mission is to help people respond effectively to substance use and related problems. Although the benefits of 12-step participation may (and quite often do) outweigh the added AVE risk, clinicians should be aware of this particular risk and take steps to counteract it.

• This is an important measure, but it doesn’t do much for relapse prevention if we don’t forge a plan to deal with these disturbances when they arise.
• Making a commitment to stop drinking only to find yourself days, weeks, months or years down the road ingesting alcohol.
• The abstinence violation effect (AVE) refers to the negative cognitive and affective responses that an individual experiences after the return to substance abuse after a period of abstinence.
• In one model, for example, an individual attempting to follow a reduced calorie diet may experience an abstinence violation effect following ingestion of modest amounts of snack foods, leading to a transient inclination to abandon dietary restraint altogether.

We can use our experiences to help others by telling them how relapse and abstinence violation effect caused us torment. If we can keep others from making the same mistakes, our experiences will serve a wonderful purpose. The memories of our slips may always sting a bit, but at least we can sleep easy at night knowing that we used them to do some good.

What Is the Abstinence Violation Effect, and How Do I Get Over It?

It has been proposed that internal, stable, and global attributions for the cause of a lapse following a period of abstinence and concomitant feelings of guilt and loss of control increased the probability of a return to regular substance use. The Abstinence Violation Effect (AVE) hypotheses were tested in a sample of 75 adult marijuana users who reported a lapse into marijuana use following completion of either a relapse prevention (RP) or social support group treatment aimed at abstinence. Results showed that more internal, stable, and global attributions for the cause of the lapse and perceived loss of control were related significantly to concurrently reported relapse. Further, internal and global attributions predicted marijuana use during the subsequent 6 months.

These differing definitions make the notion of a relapse rather vague, but sticking to the above traditional notions of a slip or lapse versus a full-blown relapse is most likely the only concrete solution to defining these behaviors. People commonly confront relapse as a part of their process in achieving long-term sobriety. Perfection isn’t required by those in recovery, but rather a willingness to do their best each day with a supportive team backing their efforts. Note that these script ideas were pulled from a UN training on cognitive behavioral therapy that is available online. Twelve-step can certainly contribute to extreme and negative reactions to drug or alcohol use. This does not mean that 12-step is an ineffective or counterproductive source of recovery support, but that clinicians should be aware that 12-step participation may make a client’s AVE more pronounced.

Science Based Psychological, Behavioral, and Addiction Specialists

In this case, individuals try to explain to themselves why they violated their goal of abstinence. If the reason for the violation is attributed to internal, stable, and/or global factors, such as lack of willpower or possession of an underlying disease, then the individual is more likely to have a full-blown relapse after the initial violation occurs. On the other hand, if the reason for the violation is attributed to external, unstable, and/or local factors, such as an extremely tempting situation, then the individual https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/the-abstinence-violation-effect-meaning-when-recovering/ is more likely to recover from the violation and get back onto the path of abstinence. While some assert that relapse occurs after the first sip of alcohol or use of another drug, certain scientists believe it is a process which more closely resembles a domino effect. Social-cognitive and behavioral theories believe relapse begins before the person actually returns to substance abuse. Being in recovery from drugs or alcohol addiction teaches people many things, including some of life’s most important lessons.

In a similar fashion, the nature of these attributions determines whether the violation will lead to full-blown relapse. Instead, if the individual had considered their behavior a simple lapse as opposed to a full-blown violation of abstinence, they may have been able to use the situation to learn from their mistakes and move on. Marlatt considered the abstinence violation affect a serious risk factor for relapse that could be avoided by understanding the difference between a slip and a full-blown violation of one’s commitment to recovery. While he considered 12-Step programs and other similar approaches to recovery to be useful, he also believed that the notions of a lapse and relapse were not realistically conceived by many recovery programs.

Cognitive Behavioral Treatments for Substance Use Disorders

John understands first hand the struggles of addiction and strives to provide a safe environment for clients. Substance use recovery programs should refrain from defining a mere slip as a total failure of abstinence. Instead, they should promote the notion that slips should be addressed immediately and that individuals can learn from them and improve.

There is a large literature on self-efficacy and its predictive relation to relapse or the maintenance of abstinence. When abstinence violation effect kicks in, the first thing we often do is criticize ourselves. This is a problem faced by many addicts and alcoholics, and it actually applies to more than just AVE. But when we get a flat tire, we find ourselves practically on the verge of calling a suicide prevention hotline. Obviously this rhetoric is extreme, but that’s the point—we tend to think in extremes. Comprehensive addiction treatment to help achieve long-term success in recovery and wellness.