In the addiction field there is a condition, or phenomenon, called the “dry drunk.” It refers to a person who no longer drinks, but has not dealt with the underlying emotions, anxieties, and distress that led to drinking in the first place. The dry drunk is miserable to himself and the people around him. The dry drunk is also highly vulnerable to relapse. While this is frequent for drug and alcohol matters, it can also occur with any problem behavior; e.g., gambling and various forms of criminality. Thus, for a released prisoner the criminal behavior may cease, but the underlying personal framework may remain, and thereby yields one who is miserable and vulnerable to relapse (recidivism).
Alisa Stevens of University of Southampton (UK) writes about identity reconstruction and narrative reframing in prison therapeutic communities (TCs). She conducted qualitative research on the experiences of the TC inmates. What is essential to her findings is that the TC environment encouraged inmates to explore their own and each other’s personal narratives. These narratives were perceived by the inmates to be their source identity. As they also encountered a TC environment that ran contrary to those narratives (responsible, free, and equal) and related to each other in new, socially supportive ways, they progressively adjusted their personal narratives. Consequently, most inmates presented a reconstructed identity in the end. Stevens offers many direct quotes, but here is a short one that typifies their experiences:
I’ve become here the person I’ve always wanted to be; the person that’s always been there underneath but was scared to come out and got covered up with all the bollocks of my lifestyle and attitudes … I am the person now I was always meant to be, but who got lost somewhere along the way.
As Stevens notes, the “creation of a temporary ‘escape’ identity in prison is admittedly unremarkable.” But these instances were bolstered by other discerned indicators of rehabilitation and thus, more than simply unilateral declarations of “reform.” Steven’s findings are bolstered further by a large-scale study conducted by the Urban Institute. The Urban Institute looked at the effectiveness of re-entry services on recidivism over three years. In particular, they divided re-entry services into two broad categories: (1) skills development and (2) personal development. The skills development type services showed negligible effects, whereas personal development services showed very significant reductions in recidivism. This suggests, again, that things that can influence personal narratives and identity frameworks are likely keys to successful re-entry.
Based on his research, Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Laureate, describes us as having two selves: (1) an experiencing self, and (2) a remembering self. The experiencing self works in chunks of 3-5 seconds. Whatever transpires via the experiencing self is lost, except for what the remembering self holds on to. The remembering self preserves memories by creating narrative stories. The collection of narratives, in turn, creates who we are. Identity.
Importantly, it is the remembering self who makes decisions. And it makes decisions based not on the experiences we have, but based on the future memories we want to have. For example, a woman willingly goes through childbirth even though the pain is worse than passing a kidney stone. Or consider that you could choose between two vacations, but one of them entails the destruction of all your pictures and a wipe out of your memory of the vacation. Would you choose the vacation that offers no memory despite that it is filled with great experiences? Probably not.
So, in our psyche we have a “script writer” that creates narratives about ourselves. Narrative therapy is predicated on the notion that we can get in touch with and influence our script writer. We do so by externalizing our stories out loud and examining our narratives. These narratives can then be challenged against competing truths, rationale, and desirability. Those challenges can lead to reframing of the narratives. After a bit of narrative reframing, one may experience a reconstructed identity. A reconstructed identity is a powerful force for change. For a case in point, ask the Evangelical who is “Born Again.”
One doesn’t need to be a licensed therapist to be helpful in this regard. Be a good listener. That means listening with nonjudgmental curiosity. Help the person externalize their story(ies). The main idea is to get them to tell a story that is not aimed at your approval, but one that is aimed at learning about themselves. The more they do this, the more likely they will gain insights about themselves. As they find the part of themselves that writes the scripts, they will begin to reformulate their personal narrative. Eventually, they will have created a new identity that is untethered and unburdened by a criminal past. One that is free to create a new future.
Similarly, it is a great help to provide opportunities for re-entrants to make new and positive memories. The best opportunities lie in building relationships. Experiencing competency also creates positive memories. Help us at Amiracle4sure, Inc. provide these opportunities with your charitable gifts and volunteer efforts.