GUILT, SHAME, AND DEPRESSION IN CLIENTS IN RECOVERY FROM ADDICTION

Men and women in recovery from addiction were compared on levels of de pression, guilt, and shame. The measurement of guilt included subscale s of Survivor Guilt, Separation Guilt, Omnipotent Responsibility Guilt , Trait Guilt, State Guilt, and Adaptive Guilt. The sample included 75 men and 33 women in treatment in a residential treatment community. I t was found that women were significantly higher than men in depressio n. The recovering subjects were compared to nonaddicted subjects and e stablished norms, and it was found that the recovering people were hig her on depression, shame, and the subscales of maladaptive guilt. Both men and women in recovery were significantly lower than norms in adap tive guilt.