Addiction As An Attachment Disorder

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From the Foreword ' Addiction is a disorder in self-regulation Individuals who become dependent on addictive substances cannot regulate their emotions self-care self-esteem & relationships In this monumental & illuminating text Philip Flores covers all the reasons why this is so But it is the domain of interpersonal relations that he makes clear why individuals susceptible to substance use disorders (SUDs) are especially vulnerable His emphasis on addiction as an attachment disorder is principally important because he provides extensive scholarly & clinical insights as to why certain vulnerable individuals so desperately need to substitute chemical solutions & connections for human ones The strength of Flores' paradigm of addiction as an attachment disorder is that it is a theory that effectively & wisely guides treatment but at the same time when properly implemented or practiced the treatment resonates with & further enhances the theory Flores' work here is an extraordinary one because in parsimonious & clear language he makes a major contribution to the literature & practice of effective psychotherapy in general & effective psychotherapy for the addictions in particular He fills in all the gaps between theory & practice covering wide & ranging issues of what practice & empirical findings have to teach about the critical ingredients of AA group therapy & individual psychotherapy This is a job well-done because it helps students & experienced clinicians alike to always be mindful of how they bring their humanity to the distress & suffering of others His theory of addiction as an attachment disorder makes is particularly clear how especially important this is for those suffering with addictive disorders ' -Edward J Khantzian MD Clinical Professor of Psychiatry Harvard Medical School