Prelims

Positive Psychology for Addiction

As this book shows, a positive psychological approach to addiction focuses on building strengths, resilience and well-being to help individuals, not just recover from their addictions but also flourish and thrive. In contrast to traditional methods that often focus on reducing deficits and harm, it offers the hope, optimism and personal agency that can empower individuals to envision a future beyond sobriety. With addiction associated with dependency, positive psychology also cultivates independence and self-reliance, which is especially important for anyone vulnerable to the increasing challenges we can all be faced with today.

—Dr Michelle Tytherleigh, C.Psychol., PG Cert (HE)., SFHEA., AFBPsS, Senior Lecturer and Deputy Programme Leader for MSc Conversion, Division of Psychology, Room CCR120, Chritchley Building, University of Chester, UK

The book is the first to apply positive psychology to the field of addiction and, in particular, links its application to mental health in its broadest sense. The book will, in my opinion, become required reading for all those dealing with one of the greatest challenges to society in the world today. The authors, as leading figures in their respective fields of positive psychology and addiction, provide a comprehensive, evidence-based account, written in an authoritative but very accessible style.

—Professor Kevin Gournay, CBE FMedSci., Emeritus Professor: Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience: Kings College: London. Honorary Professor: Matilda Centre: Faculty of Medicine and Health: University of Sydney

The importance of recovery from addiction and the novel idea of ‘recovery protection’ are captured uniquely through a blend of lived experience and academic insight into what works from the positive psychological approaches the book presents – the first of its kind. The G-CHIME model not only suggests a new way of thinking about addiction recovery but provides a set of service user friendly interventions with hints and tips that make them easy to navigate and implement in ways that are potentially life changing for those that use them. It is a pleasure to recommend this book.

—Dr Mark A. Durkin, Lecturer in Psychology and Justice Experienced Professional, Leeds Trinity University

An excellent new resource on addiction. The authors successfully provide the reader with an easy-to-access insight into the psychology of addiction and recovery that simultaneously offers a comprehensive and detailed deconstruction of key research and theorising on the topic. An essential read for students wanting to develop their knowledge as well as subject matter specialists and practitioners looking to expand their already existing knowledge about the latest empirical and theoretical developments.

—Dr Dominic Willmott (CPsychol, AFBPsS), Reader in Legal and Criminological Psychology, Loughborough University, UK. Programme Leader, MSc Criminology. Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Criminal Psychology. Visiting Professor in Psychology, SWPS University, Poland

This book will give the reader an exclusive opportunity to experience the emergence of a novel approach to positive psychology. By bringing positive psychology and addiction together, the authors connect what seem to be two opposites. However, by adding recovery, the equation makes sense and open up for a brand-new approach, positive psychology and addiction recovery.

—Dr Mats Niklasson, PhD Developmental Psychology, The Vestibularis Clinic, Center for Sensorimotor Research, Kalmar, Sweden. Associate Editor at Perceptual and Motor Skills - SAGE Journals. Visiting Research Fellow, School of Psychology, University of Bolton

Positive Psychology in Practice

Series Edited by:

Professor Jerome Carson, Professor of Psychology at the University of Bolton, UK

Dr Michelle Tytherleigh, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at The University of Chester, UK

Positive psychology is the fastest growing area of psychology, and this series presents the latest developments in the field, providing a range of scholarly yet practical books for academics, practitioners, and students.

Positive Psychology in Practice features volumes investigating fields such as addiction, resilience, positive education, healthcare. These volumes are authored by academics who have published and carried out research in that specific area, and many are co-authored by practitioners to provide real-world context and application.

Positive Psychology for Healthcare Professionals: A Toolkit for Improving Wellbeing, authored by Jan Macfarlane and Jerome Carson

Positive Education at all Levels: Learning to Flourish, edited by Michelle Tytherleigh

The Positive Psychology of Laughter and Humour, authored by Freda Gonot-Schoupinsky, Merv Neal, and Jerome Carson

How Digital Technologies Can Support Positive Psychology, authored by Steven Barnes and Julie Prescott

Happiness and Positive Psychology, Sandie McHugh and Jerome Carson

Dr Chathurika Kannangara, Associate Teaching Professor, University of Bolton

Dr Roshelle Ramkisson, Visiting Professor of Psychiatry, University of Bolton

Ros Ben-Moshe, Psychologist, University of Melbourne, Australia

Professor Samuel Ho, Polytechnic University of Hong Kong

Dr Mark Durkin, Lecturer in Psychology, Leeds Trinity University

Positive Psychology for Addiction

Theory, Research and Application

By

Lisa Ogilvie

University of Bolton, UK

And

Jerome Carson

University of Bolton, UK

United Kingdom – North America – Japan – India – Malaysia – China

Emerald Publishing Limited

Emerald Publishing, Floor 5, Northspring, 21-23 Wellington Street, Leeds LS1 4DL

First edition 2025

Copyright © 2025 Lisa Ogilvie and Jerome Carson.

Published under exclusive licence by Emerald Publishing Limited.

Reprints and permissions service

Contact: www.copyright.com

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without either the prior written permission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying issued in the UK by The Copyright Licensing Agency and in the USA by The Copyright Clearance Center. Any opinions expressed in the chapters are those of the authors. Whilst Emerald makes every effort to ensure the quality and accuracy of its content, Emerald makes no representation implied or otherwise, as to the chapters' suitability and application and disclaims any warranties, express or implied, to their use.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-83662-339-7 (Print)

ISBN: 978-1-83662-338-0 (Online)

ISBN: 978-1-83662-340-3 (Epub)

For Lisa

This book is dedicated to my Mum, whose love continues to guide me.

For Jerome

This book is dedicated to my amazing daughter Francesca.

Lisa Ogilvie, PhD, is a visiting research fellow at the University of Bolton and a qualified Counsellor and a Chartered Psychologist working for a drug and alcohol treatment centre. Her specialist area of research and practice is addiction recovery, in particular realising the pluralistic advancement of positive psychology in this field. Lisa is also interested in narrative research, exploring the lived experience of addiction and recovery, to which end she curates a series of addiction recovery stories for the Emerald journal Advances in Dual Diagnosis.

Jerome Carson, PhD, is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Bolton. His main research interests are positive psychology, recovery from mental health problems, alcohol use disorder, bereavement and autoethnography. Jerome is a qualified Clinical Psychologist and worked in the National Health Service for 32 years. He has been a Professor of Psychology since September 2012. He is the editor-in-chief of the Emerald journal Mental Health and Social Inclusion, and along with Dr Michele Tytherleigh, he is the series co-editor for the Emerald Positive Psychology Collection.

I discovered Dr Lisa Ogilvie when reading a newsletter at work, where Lisa was featured for achieving her PhD in positive psychology. As the Deputy CEO for the Calico Group, it wasn't unexpected to find someone with such an accolade, working out of the spotlight within our organisation. This place is full of brilliant people, giving back, modestly. When Lisa asked me to write the foreword to her book, I was honoured. Creating a book requires love and dedication. This work is particularly special because it comes from Lisa's daily practice with people in recovery, across the North-West of the United Kingdom. What Lisa shares with us in ‘Positive Psychology for Addiction’ is both pragmatic and revolutionary.

As a book about positive psychology, inevitably, the content is optimistic. In many ways, just reading it made me happy. The Growth, Connectedness, Hope, Identity, Meaning in Life, Empowerment (G-CHIME) model provides a framework through which we can understand the building blocks of successful recovery. I loved the idea that when we feel off-track, we should check for a deficit of one (or more) of these. And then do something positive about it! Note to self. Furthermore, the addition of the ‘G’ into the model later was genius. Framing ‘recovery’ as an opportunity to grow creates a paradigm shift in our mindset, enabling us to acknowledge where we have come from, while expanding our ambition around where we might get to, influencing behaviours which bring positive momentum to life. Just what is needed when we consider the stigma and shame that can be associated with addiction.

In the chapter on strengths, a Values in Action model of character strengths is introduced, which is similar to other strengths' evaluation models I have come across. However, words such as ‘KINDNESS, GRATITUDE and FORGIVENESS’ are a sure-fire way of catching my attention, particularly when talking about how we describe ourselves as human beings. Somehow this language feels more encompassing. Tips are provided for practitioners and individuals to be incorporated into daily life.

At its very heart, and based on the core concepts of positive psychology, the book introduces the idea of ‘recovery protection,’ as an alternative approach to ‘relapse prevention.’ At first, I thought this was just a shift in language, but it's so much more. In my work, I have been lucky enough to meet people at different stages of recovery. What I have learned is how vulnerable we must become, to create real and lasting change. But that's where positive psychology comes in. In these times of vulnerability, being offered an approach where your recovery is considered as valuable, something to be protected, because of the ‘positive lifestyle it affords,’ could just be the mindset you need. Damn, it's just so appealing!

At the Calico Group, we work across the North-West of the United Kingdom, with some of the most excluded people in society. Many of our colleagues have lived experience of addiction, homelessness, domestic abuse and unemployment. We find that gives us the ability to connect and build trust with people in our communities, enabling us to provide support when people need it. Central to all our work is our Customer Strategy: ‘The Humanity Offer,’ which describes how we believe ‘everyone deserves the chance to live their best life.' Although the strategy acknowledges the adversity people have faced, its ambition is inherently positive. Lisa's research and findings not only underpin this strategic approach but also provide the methods through which recovery services are provided across the organisation. While this book is aimed at practitioners within the field of recovery, its appeal should be much wider. It's about how we live our lives and how we behave in doing so. Approaching this through a lens of positivity delivers results that could benefit everyone.

Helen Thompson, Deputy CEO, The Calico Group