An exploration of emotional sobriety: The experience of shame and guilt for the alcoholic working the twelve step recovery program of Alcoholics Anonymous

The contribution of emotional sobriety to successful recovery from addiction is becoming more recognized as researchers delve into programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous. Utilizing shame and guilt as indicators of emotional sobriety, this study examined the phenomenon of these emotions for active AA members. Three research questions were explored: How does the person suffering from alcoholism define their experience of shame and guilt and is it different from the experience reported in the extant literature for non-alcoholic persons? Do shame and guilt change over the course of recovery in a predictable and common pattern? If change does occur, by what mechanism(s)? Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was utilized due to the double hermeneutic of the methodology. IPA seeks to understand and describe the participant's experience as well as to make sense of the meaning participants ascribe to the experienced phenomenon. As prescribed by IPA, participants consisted of a small (13 participants), purposefully chosen, homogeneous group of AA members: 100% Caucasian age range from 37 to 72 years and length of sobriety, 45 days to 26.5 years. Data collection occurred via semi-structured interviews in four naturally occurring focus groups. Data surrounding the first research question yielded a unique finding contrary to the extant literature. Participants reported that prior to treatment for alcoholism, guilt is experienced as a fleeting emotion that neither motivates reparative action nor fosters a decrease in interpersonal distance. The results of the second line of questioning regarding the pattern of change in shame and guilt yielded a generalized pattern of both emotions higher at the outset of Step Work and lower at completion of the Twelfth Step. The fluctuations of shame and guilt between Steps One and Twelve were individualistic and appeared dependent on self-discrepancy models and degree of feeling accepted. Analysis of the third line of inquiry regarding salient mechanisms of change found accountability, acceptance, meeting attendance, developing interpersonal relationships, hearing one's story, and step work as universally operative. The mechanisms of spirituality, forgiveness, honesty and accepting alcoholism as a disease instead of a moral deficit emerged as salient during specific steps in the AA program of recovery.