Drug Withdrawal and Coping With Loneliness

Author: Rokach, Ami

Source: Social Indicators Research, Volume 73, Number 1, August 2005 , pp. 71-85(15)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

Loneliness is a prevailing experience which is particularly familiar to adolescents and young adults. It is a subjective experience which is influenced by one’s personality, life experiences, and situational variables. The present study examined the influence of drug cessation on coping with loneliness. Drug abusers, during their stay in detox centers, were compared to drug abusers who participated in a methadone maintenance program and those two groups were compared to a group of adults in the general population who are non users of drugs. A total of 304 participants volunteered to answer a 34-item yes/no questionnaire, reflecting on their loneliness experiences and how they coped with it. The factors which compose the beneficial coping strategies are– Acceptance and reflection, Self-development and understanding, Social support network, Distancing and denial, Religion and faith, and Increased activity. Results indicated significant differences in the manner in which the three groups cope with loneliness.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11205-004-2008-y

Affiliations: 1: The Institute for the Study and Treatment of Psychosocial Stress, 104 Combe Ave., Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M3H 4J9, Email: arokach@yorku.ca

Publication date: 2005-08-01