The Central Importance of Positive Psychology in dealing with Alcoholism

Alcoholism is one of the common disorders that are affecting the modern world. The continued consumption of alcohol has a myriad of impacts on the mental health of individuals. When dealing with the issue of alcoholism, it is necessary to start by ensuring there is a clear understanding of its impact on the lives of individuals. Some of the common psychological impacts of alcohol on the mental health of persons are seen in mood changes as well as alleviated feelings of depression and anxiety. It is the reason people use it as a form of self-medication with the aim of relieving the symptoms of mental illnesses therein. In the long-run, however, it could to an increase in health problems. It is the main reason positive psychology interventions are needed in the treatment of alcoholism. These interventions are generally important when dealing with substance use disorders, and there are various theories that govern their existence. As such, these psychological interventions are essential in helping the affected person counter the negative cognitions therein, and reducing the impact of the alcoholism disorder.

Advancements in positive psychology have taken an exponentially new step over the past few years. These changes are necessitated by the continued changes in addictions, and the growth is in a positive direction towards handling the impact of alcoholism. As such, the changes have embodied a change in the recovery movement, and all the interventions therein are evidence-based. It follows several theoretical foundations, and these are aimed at ensuring that all the interventions are positive. Also, the best thing about positive psychology is that it works for all the populations irrespective of whether they are adults or adolescents. It also caters to the needs of those who are regularly in and out of treatment from alcoholism. Another importance of the psychological interventions is that they deal with a wide range of disorders, and not that of alcoholism only. As such, it has some positivity because it analyzes the fact that alcoholism is accompanied by other addictive behaviors such as cigarette smoking and the inability to carry out ordinary chores unless one is under the influence of alcohol. Positive psychology provides a platform for using several rigorous approaches towards addiction, and they are similar across the globe. Henceforth, it plays a pivotal role in the process of prevention and other interventions concerning alcoholism.

Over the years, alcoholism addiction theorists have noted that there is a need to come up with a good and sustainable approach to dealing with the possibility of relapse. These positive interventions have helped in developing an initiative that can be used in diverse areas, including at rehabilitation centers. The best thing about positive psychology interventions helps in the scientific study of different factors relating to alcoholism, and it ends up creating a balance with the clinical pathology. It creates a metaphor and common perception that pathology helps that alcoholic to learn how to live for some hours without alcohol, while positive psychology helps in ensuring that the issue of alcoholism is dealt with wholly. Arguably, positive psychology is more effective because it is based on gratitude practices and an identification of the strengths and weaknesses of the person affected. It is then summarized by acts of kindness aimed at taking the person suffering from alcohol disorder back to an alcohol-free life.

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As such, positive psychology can arguably be the first step when dealing with the issue of alcoholism from a clinical psychological perspective. It gives clinical psychology some positive functioning because it offers a standard approach of dealing with alcoholism and understanding its consequences. Also, positive psychology is open to further changes that are aimed at changing how it deals with the issues of alcoholism. It makes it easier for psychologists to come up with diverse ways of dealing with alcohol problems over time, and such an initiative is helpful in different ways. Another fact is that the psychologist could also be involved in the initial processes where the family of the alcoholic person is looking for a way of dealing with the alcoholism issues. The psychologist will then use positive psychology principles to help the family or others find ways of increasing the drinker's motivation to change. It all starts with an assessment of the alcoholic, after which the psychologist pieces of advice on the best way to ensure that those persons with drinking problems can improve their recovery by seeking help while it is still early.

Conclusively, positive psychology initiatives are necessary when dealing with alcoholism problems. It is one of the psychological therapies that psychologists use to address the psychological issues that are associated with the drinking problem. One of the common therapies is cognitive-behavioral coping skills. Another strategy is the motivational enhancement therapy that encompasses a self-help program of dealing with alcoholism. All these therapies enhance the positivity of psychology, and it increases the odds of an alcoholic to abstain from alcohol use. It also deals with the mental problems that are associated with alcoholism, such as anxiety and depression, as well as other co-occurring psychological conditions.

References

Krentzman, A. R. (2013). Review of the application of positive psychology to substance use, addiction, and recovery research. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 27(1), 151. https:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3531570/

Krentzman, A. R., & Barker, S. L. (2016). Counselors' perspectives of positive psychology for the treatment of addiction: A mixed methods pilot study. Alcoholism treatment quarterly, 34(4), 370-385. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5152621/