SELF-REEVALUATION THERAPY - A COGNITIVE INTERVENTION FOR THE CHEMICALLY DEPENDENT PATIENT

A brief cognitive-behavioral intervention, based on Higgins's self-dis crepancy theory, is described, and a case report of its use with a coc aine-dependent patient is provided. Self-discrepancy theory states tha t discrepancies among current and desired self-representations form co gnitive schemas, which, when activated, produce negative emotional sta tes. Negative emotional states, in turn, are hypothesized to play a ro le in relapse to drug use. The goal of self-reevaluation therapy is to reduce actual:ideal self-discrepancies and to increase actual:addict self-discrepancies through the use of a guided imagery technique that helps the patient identify and elaborate alternative nonaddict self-re presentations. The imagery script and daily logs are provided in their entirety in an appendix.