SHAME, GUILT, AND DEPRESSION IN MEN AND WOMEN IN RECOVERY FROM ADDICTION

Men and women in recovery from addiction were compared on levels of de pression and self-conscious affect including proneness to shame, guilt , externalization, detachment, and pride. The sample consisted of 130 subjects (88 men and 42 women; mean age 33.04), 90 of whom were active participants in a 12-step recovery program, and 40 of whom were in a residential treatment community. Subjects completed The Beck Depressio n Inventory and The Test of Self-Conscious Affect. Significant differe nces between the sexes were found for proneness to shame, detachment, and depression. Women were significantly higher on shame and depressio n; men were significantly higher on detachment. The subjects were comp ared to subjects who were not chemically dependent. It was found that these recovering drug-addicted subjects scored significantly higher in proneness to shame and externalization and significantly lower on pro neness to guilt. Treatment implications of proneness to shame in the d rug-addicted population, and particularly in women, are discussed. The use of confrontational drug treatment strategies may be contraindicat ed.