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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

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Psychology

Mike Lyvers

Attachment

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Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Attachment Security And Alexithymia In A Heavy Drinking Sample, F.A. Thorberg, Ross Young, Karen Sullivan, Michael Lyvers, Cameron Hurst, J. Connor, G. Feeney Oct 2012

Attachment Security And Alexithymia In A Heavy Drinking Sample, F.A. Thorberg, Ross Young, Karen Sullivan, Michael Lyvers, Cameron Hurst, J. Connor, G. Feeney

Mike Lyvers

Attachment difficulties have been proposed as a key risk factor for the development of alexithymia, a multifaceted personality trait characterised by difficulties identifying and describing feelings, a lack of imagination and an externally oriented thinking style. This study investigated the relationship between attachment and alexithymia in an alcohol dependent population. Participants were 210 outpatients in a Cognitive Behavioural Treatment programme assessed on the Toronto Alexithymia Scale and the Revised Adult Attachment Scale. Significant relationships between anxious attachment and alexithymia factors were confirmed. Furthermore, alexithymic alcoholics reported significantly higher levels of anxious attachment and significantly lower levels of closeness (secure attachment) …


Alexithymia, Craving And Attachment In A Heavy Drinking Population, Fred Thorberg, Ross Young, Karen Sullivan, Michael Lyvers, Jason Connor, Gerald Feeney Feb 2011

Alexithymia, Craving And Attachment In A Heavy Drinking Population, Fred Thorberg, Ross Young, Karen Sullivan, Michael Lyvers, Jason Connor, Gerald Feeney

Mike Lyvers

Up to fifty per cent of individuals with Alcohol use disorders (AUD) also have alexithymia a personality construct hypothesized to be related to attachment difficulties. The relationship between alexithymia, craving, anxious attachment and alcohol-dependence severitywas examined in254 patients participating in a Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) programfor alcohol-dependence. Participants completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS), the Revised Adult Attachment Anxiety Subscale (RAAS-Anxiety) and the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). MANOVA indicated that individuals with alexithymia reported significantly higher levels of totalOCDS, obsessive thoughts about alcohol, and compulsive drinking urges and behavior, compared to the non-alexithymic …


Attachment In Relation To Affect Regulation And Interpersonal Functioning Among Substance Use Disorder Inpatients, Fred Arne Thorberg, Michael Lyvers Dec 2009

Attachment In Relation To Affect Regulation And Interpersonal Functioning Among Substance Use Disorder Inpatients, Fred Arne Thorberg, Michael Lyvers

Mike Lyvers

Attachment theory has been conceptualised as an affect regulation theory, proposing that attachment is associated with the expression and recognition of emotions as well as interpersonal functioning. Previous research has reported affect regulation difficulties in substance use disorders and addiction has been considered an attachment disorder. However, scarce empirical research exists on the relationship of attachment in relation to affect regulation and interpersonal functioning in those with substance use problems. Thus, the objective of the present study was to investigate potential associations between attachment, negative mood regulation (NMR) expectancies, fear of intimacy and self-differentiation in substance abusers. The revised adult …