Driven to Attach: Correlating Substance Use Disorder with Attachment Style (2HR) Presented by Dr. Paul Hardy, D. Min, CSAC, NMAC

Driven to Attach: Correlating Substance Use Disorder with Attachment Style (2HR)

$32.00

Categories: Clinical, Online Course, Substance Specific Tags: clinical, stripe, Stripe only, substance specific

Description

This training explores the relationship between attachment theory and substance use disorders. It provides an evidence-based perspective on how unmet attachment needs and early relational patterns contribute to the development and maintenance of addiction. Participants will learn how to apply attachment principles in treatment and recovery processes.

Upon completion of this training, learners will be able to:

Explain the core concepts of attachment theory and its relevance to substance use disorders.
Identify the impact of attachment styles on emotional regulation and interpersonal relationships.
Analyze the role of unmet attachment needs in the development of addictive behaviors.
Apply attachment-based strategies to improve outcomes in addiction treatment and recovery.

Social workers completing this course receive 2 Clinical/Substance-Specific asynchronous continuing education credits.

For other board approvals, this course qualifies for 2 hours of Clinical with a focus on Substance-Specific continuing education training.

Course Instructor: Presented by Dr. Paul Hardy, D. Min, CSAC, NMAC

Recording Date: 03/13/2024

Course Format

Course Format: Recorded Live Webinar with downloadable presentation slides and/or handouts, evaluation, and a required quiz. The learner is required to pass with a 70% or higher to achieve the CE certificate of completion. The learner is able to reset the test until a satisfactory score is achieved.

CE Training Workshops, LLC, provider #1770, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: (will fill in the dates once this has been approved).

CE Training Workshops, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7091. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CEUs On-Demand, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

System Requirements: Firefox, Chrome, Brave, Safari, Edge on any modern operating system (Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS). A desktop browser is recommended. We do not provide support resources for issues encountered using a mobile device.

For more information about our policies and board approval statements, please visit our FAQS page.

Meet Your Facilitator

Syllabus

Syllabus: Driven to Attach: Correlating Substance Use Disorder with Attachment Style (2HR)

I. Foundations of Attachment Theory

Originated by John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth
Attachment as a biological drive formed through early caregiver relationships
Secure base concept: a caregiver provides emotional safety and support
Attachment continues throughout life, impacting adult relationships

II. Development of Attachment Styles

Harlow’s research: comfort over nourishment in bonding
Ainsworth’s “Strange Situation” experiment
Attachment styles: secure, avoidant, ambivalent, disorganized
Impact of neglect, inconsistency, and trauma on attachment formation

III. Components and Manifestations of Attachment

Affective, behavioral, cognitive, kinesthetic, physical, and psychic components
Emotional and physical safety contribute to healthy development
Attachment styles influence emotional regulation and stress responses
Observable behaviors and internal working models begin in infancy

IV. Insecure Attachment and Adult Challenges

Symptoms in adults: fear of abandonment, low self-worth, boundary issues
Codependency and commitment avoidance as coping strategies
Influence on emotional availability and relationship patterns
Difficulty managing relationships due to unresolved early attachment wounds

V. Intersection of Addiction and Attachment

Substance use as self-medication for unmet attachment needs
Addiction as a compensatory mechanism for emotional pain
Clients often express a longing for connection, affirmation, and belonging
Attachment insecurities can drive obsession and compulsive behaviors

VI. Understanding the Trauma-Addiction Cycle

Trauma and pain initiate avoidance behaviors and substance use
Short-term relief reinforces dependency on maladaptive coping
Cycle leads to deeper emotional distress and sustained addiction
Healing begins with understanding emotional and relational patterns

VII. Attachment Styles and Substance Use Disorder

Secure attachment provides resilience and emotional regulation
Avoidant and anxious attachments linked to increased substance use risk
Disorganized attachment may result in self-destructive or chaotic behaviors
Emotional dysregulation and low distress tolerance as risk factors

VIII. Addiction Beyond Substances

Addiction can apply to people, relationships, media, work, sex, and more
Limerence and obsessive bonding reflect attachment-driven infatuation
False sense of regulation and identity derived from addictive behaviors
Addiction often masks deeper attachment wounds

IX. Counseling Interventions for Adult Attachment

Long-term therapy helps reshape attachment through secure relationships
Security priming: activating attachment-related memories and cues
Reframing childhood experiences and building new emotional narratives
Techniques include guided recall, visualization, and mindful exploration

X. Fostering Secure Attachment in Recovery

Teach clients to build internal resources and emotional autonomy
Encourage social reconnection and secure relational experiences
Promote self-awareness, self-trust, and active listening skills
Therapist serves as a secure base, modeling consistency and empathy