Recovering alcoholics' body language can be a sign of
whether or not they may fall off the wagon, says a UBC study. (Alamy)
VANCOUVER - Recovering alcoholics always hope they won't fall off the wagon, but researchers say they have now found a way to predict if that plunge will occur, and how bad the bender will be.
Observers at the University of British Columbia watched the body language of problem drinkers during two videotaped interviews and found newly sober drinkers who showed signs of shame were much more likely to hit the bottle again.
The study is the first to link physical signs of shame, such as slumped shoulders or a narrow chest, to predictions of relapse over the next three to 11 months in people who struggle with substance abuse.
University of B.C. psychology Prof. Jessica Tracy said the amount of shame displayed is also directly tied to the number of drinks an alcoholic will have on that first binge after giving up sobriety.
Forty-six drinkers recruited from Alcoholics Anonymous meetings completed questionnaires about their physical and mental health. Tracy and a team researchers also assessed their body language in interviews, videotaped four months apart.
Study co-author Dan Rangles said participants who displayed a stronger response in the second interview had consumed more drinks.
"On average they consumed an additional 10.6 drinks between the four months," he said of the study to be published this week by the Association for Psychological Science journal Clinical Psychological Science.
Researchers analyzed the first 10 seconds of their response, mostly because people would express their strongest emotional reactions immediately after being asked the question, Randles said.
The study found that unconscious physical mannerisms are a powerful sign of future relapse, while written expressions of shame offer almost no clues because people may repress painful behaviour.
Randles said that while some U.S. states have issued marked licence plates for people convicted of driving under the influence, it's not clear if such public shaming promotes positive behaviour.
"Our research with this sample suggests that may not actually work and it may have the opposite effect, encouraging (people) to feel like this is a permanent part of themselves, which, according to our data may make it more difficult for them to overcome the problem."
Having worked with a number of alcoholics in AA,, I've found that body language is fiercely related to how much each member is actually 'working' the program. As well, this 'work' is directly linked to the program's success rate.. With minimal to no work, 10% stay sober (and demonstrate the 'defeated' body posture mentioned in the study. However, the rates (and outlooks) climb drastically as more work is applied.. (As high as 100%). My point is that the study appears quite subjective and contextual, and paints a limited, almost tainted picture. Without applying the proper tools, outlooks and physical mannerisms towards any given addictive behavior will almost always appear defeatist in nature. Again, as more work, connection and support is introduced, the attitudes follow suit, almost alarmingly at that.
ReplyDeleteIf only the money that was paid to these researchers was used for prevention and treatment instead of ridiculous studies like this one, we'd have a much better world.
ReplyDeleteShow me a newly recovering addict or alcoholic who DOESN'T feel shame - not even possible! Shame just simply goes with the territory of early recovery - no exceptions.
That being said, when I was a newly recovering addict, feeling as much shame as all the rest of the newly recovering addicts around me, I made a choice to 'not use even if my ass was falling off' as the saying goes. I often felt completely hopeless and discouraged and, yes, full of shame. But here I am - 25 years later - still clean and sober.
Shame isn't what makes addicts relapse. Making the choice to use again and actually picking up that first one is what makes us relapse.