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Published on: August 18, 2020
Spiritual self-schema therapy, drug abuse, and HIV
David Marcotte1, S Kelly Avants, Arthur Margolin
1Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Division of Substance Abuse, New Haven, Connecticut 06519, USA.
Abstract:
This case report describes the use of Spiritual Self-Schema (3-S) therapy in the treatment of an HIV-positive inner-city drug user maintained on methadone and referred for additional treatment due to unremitting cocaine use. 3-S therapy is a manual-guided intervention based on cognitive self-schema theory. Its goal is to help the patient create, elaborate, and make accessible a cognitive schema--the "spiritual" self-schema-that is incompatible with drug use and other HIV risk behaviors. 3-S therapy facilitates a cognitive shift from the habitual activation of the "addict" self-schema, with its drug-related cognitions, scripts and action plans, to the "spiritual" self-schema, with its associated repertoire of harm reduction beliefs and behaviors.
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