Relapse prevention for sexual offenders: considerations for the “abstinence violation effect”

Any information found on RehabCenter.net should never be used to diagnose a disease or health problem, and in no way replaces or substitutes professional care. In the case of a suspected health problem, please contact your healthcare provider. There is no obligation to enter treatment and you can opt out at any time. Contrasting this, the aforementioned negative mindsets can lead to a cycle of blame and shame. Instead of looking at the slip as an opportunity to grow and learn, a person lets it color the way they think about themselves.

After six successful months of recovery, Joe believed he was well on his way to being sober for life; however, one evening, he got into a major argument with his wife regarding her relationship with another man. He was hoping that he could get back together with her, but realized that this was impossible. Thus, despite various definitional issues in the research, the above definitions will guide this article and discussing the issue of relapse. How one defines relapse may be an important influence on determining what happens when one suffers a lapse or slip. For instance, one interesting manifestation of a lapse is something termed the abstinence violation effect. Believing the lapse is due to unchangeable factors like a lack of willpower or an inability to stop using.

Self-control and coping responses

Specifically, those participants who had a greater belief in the disease model of alcoholism and a higher commitment to absolute abstinence were most likely to experience relapse in that study. In a recent review of the literature on relapse precipitants, Dimeff and Marlatt also concluded that considerable support exists for the notion that an abstinence violation effect can precipitate a relapse. Starting from the point of confronting and recognizing a high-risk situation, Marlatt’s model illustrates that the individual will deal with the situation with either an effective or ineffective coping response. Effective coping skills can lead to increased self-efficacy, and a decreased probability of a lapse.

Shows a session by session cognitive-behavioural program for the treatment of pathological gamblers.

Preventing Relapse in Recovery

In some cases, abstinence may have physiological effects, but misconceptions about the effects of abstinence on an individual’s body and mental state are also fairly common. For example, some believe abstinence may reduce testosterone levels; research often finds the opposite. One study found that in men, testosterone levels peaked after 7 days of abstaining from sex. Abstinence may, however, increase the risk of developing erectile dysfunction. Abstinence stands in contrast to concepts such as limited consumption or self-restraint, because the abstinence model requires complete avoidance of a substance or behavior. For example, a person who limited their drinking would not be practicing abstinence, but a person who refused all alcoholic beverages on a long-term basis would be abstaining from drinking.

Both slips and even full-blown relapses are often part of the recovery process. The neurotransmitter serotonin has been the focus of considerable research in patients with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Laboratory studies have shown that patients with eating disorders often experience abnormal patterns of hunger and satiety over the course of a meal. Serotonin plays abstinence violation effect an important role in postingestive satiety, and appears to be important in regulation of mood and anxiety-related symptoms. Preliminary findings suggest that impaired function in central nervous system serotonergic pathways may contribute to binge eating and mood instability in bulimia nervosa. Dieting behaviors may tax the adaptive capacities of serotonergic pathways.

PRIME PubMed Relapse prevention for sexual offenders: considerations for the “abstinence violation effect”

Family studies have shown that there is an increased rate of eating disorders in first-degree relatives of individuals with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Similarly, twin studies have shown a higher concordance for the eating disorders in monozygotic twins in comparison to dizygotic twins. These studies suggest that heritable biological characteristics contribute to the onset of the eating disorders, although the potential role of familial environmental factors must also be considered. Cognitive therapy seeks to identify and challenge maladaptive thoughts and ideas such as I can never be 100% sober, the stress of my job makes me drink, if I only felt better and less stressed I would be able to stop drinking. Results of a preliminary nonrandomized trial supported the potential utility of MBRP for reducing substance use.