Shame, not guilt linked to addiction.

• Position: Substance Abuse - Brief Article

It is important to distinguish between feelings of shame and guilt when providing treatment for substance abuse and in developing substance-abuse prevention programs, indicate findings from a collaboration between scientists at the University at Buffalo (N.Y.) Research Institute on Addictions and George Mason University, Fairfax, Va.

Shame is the tendency to feel bad about yourself following a specific event. It appears that individuals who are prone to shame when dealing with a variety of life's problems also may turn toward alcohol and other drugs to cope with this emotion. Guilt--feeling bad about a specific behavior or action--largely was unrelated to substance use.

Clinically, this study suggests a point of intervention for the treatment of...