Alcohol recovery in self-help groups: Surrender and narcissism

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Addiction Studies
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Understanding the psychological factors influencing recovery from alcoholism is crucial.
• Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a widely utilized support system, but its specific psychological correlates require further investigation.
• Pathological narcissism and surrender are proposed psychological constructs relevant to addiction recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between the level of participation in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and psychological traits of surrender and pathological narcissism.
• To compare these relationships in individuals participating in Rational Recovery.
• To explore potential sex differences in surrender and narcissism within these recovery groups.

Main Methods:

• The study involved male subjects actively participating in AA, less involved in AA, or in Rational Recovery.
• Surrender and narcissism (pathological and nonpathological) were measured.
• Statistical analyses were used to examine correlations and group differences.

Main Results:

• Male subjects scored as predicted on surrender.
• Surrender negatively correlated with pathological narcissism and showed no association with nonpathological narcissism.
• The hypothesized relationship between AA participation level and pathological narcissism was not supported.
• Significant sex differences were observed: females scored lower on narcissism and higher on surrender than males.

Conclusions:

• While surrender is negatively associated with pathological narcissism, the level of engagement in AA did not directly predict pathological narcissism.
• Sex differences in surrender and narcissism are significant in the context of addiction recovery programs.
• Further research is needed to elucidate the complex interplay between recovery program involvement, psychological traits, and sex in alcoholism recovery.