Fundamentally, spirituality has the capacity to transform the addicts from self centeredness to object love. During the process, the influence of the higher power functions as a self- object on the way to achieving object love. Kurtz and Ficher (2002) contend that AA provides a mirroring where members have the chance to influence each other and perceive each other as who they really are. Additionally, idealization of the higher power serves as a source of strength for an addict that strives to incorporate spiritual values in his lifestyle. Morrison (1989) highlighted the detrimental effects of shame or humiliation on an addict by bolstering a narcissistic defense. Thus self centeredness, pride and grandiosity can be directly attributed to a narcissistic defense. Seemingly, these are the core issues that Alcohol Anonymous strives to address during its meetings.
Morrison (1989) maintains that shame has various negative implications on the well-being of a person. In particular, it perpetuates feelings of inferiority alienation, transgression and defeat. It is a major component of the state of addiction and is often experienced interpersonally. However, over time, studies indicate that it can be easily activated by external parties. It is the internalizing process of shame that eventually shapes the identity by spreading throughout a person’s self.
The Feelings of shame is often a very bitter experience that the addict goes through and is often characterized by feelings of inadequacy. Of great reference in this regard is the shameful feeling that culminates from humiliation by other people (Bollas, 1985). The addict usually feels overly exposed and hence becomes self conscious. As a result, the feelings of inefficiency and ultimate inferiority are heightened and the addict feels unable to perform anything. Seemingly, this has the capacity to significantly reduce the productivity of the addict, which is already at stake. In order to counter these feeling, the addict opts for employment of drugs, other addictive substances as well as defective behaviors. Bollas (1985) indicates that the secondary reaction to shame includes fear, rage or distress.
In his study, Lipschizt (1987) states that, the inability to effectively regulate the feelings of shame and rage and other emotions leads to a fragmented self in future. The capacity to effectively control these feelings is a very complex process that involves employment of the inner resources and in ways that are adaptive to the person. The persons that lack adequate inner resources to effectively deal with these feelings are the ones that resort to external objects to function in lieu of what they lack in themselves.
In Narcotic Anonymous, addicts are encouraged to express these feelings freely and slowly and progressively transform the feelings of false pride, grandiosity and inflated ego that are often employed by the addict as a defense to the feelings of shame and inferiority. As such, NA provides a sustainable safety net in the capacity of an effective internal object by providing the necessary holding environment.
Vaillant (2002) indicates that a holding environment is very instrumental in enhancing viable nurturance that then counters the destructive impulses. Management of impulses is important because it enables the addict to incorporate internal object representation. At this juncture, Flores (2004) perceives all forms of addiction as having a sole purpose of misguided self regulation. Further, inadequate psychic structure and lack of self care also affect interpersonal relations. Addiction appears to have a double edge sword in that early deprivation may lead to a vulnerable self prone to addiction or simply erodes the individual’s psychic structure and the capacity for self care with increasing use of substance use even when the individual does not appear to have suffered any early deprivation.
The psychodynamic conception of the drive and the object relations theory is closely linked. Studies show that addiction is a social disorder that is influenced by either the internal drive or object relations. This implies that placing strong emphasis on one theory at the expense of the other can fail to effectively bring out the concept of addiction in the field of psychology. The internal objects are initially generated between the mother and the infant but over time, they are internalized by the infant. The good enough mother is charged with the responsibility of managing the projection of the infant and modifying the object in line with the internalization of the infant. As the psychic structure of the infant develops, it incorporates the functions that were initially only undertaken by the mother. This suggests that the process of nurturance is a lifelong and very important in development.
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