Approximate reading time: 4 minutes

Background

Whitney, a 20-year-old university student, is facing a challenging situation. They are a first year student majoring in biology and are known for their positive attitude and academic success. However, Whitney’s mental health has been impacted due to their girlfriend’s struggle with alcohol addiction.

Scenario

Whitney’s girlfriend, whom they deeply care for, has been increasingly using alcohol to cope with her stress. This has led to frequent arguments, missed classes, and noticeable changes in their behaviour, causing distress for Whitney.

Attributions Whitney Made

Permanence – Stable vs. Unstable

• Stable: Whitney worried, “This might be a long-term problem that won’t change.”
• Unstable: They hoped that with proper help and support, their addiction could be managed and overcome.

Pervasiveness – Global vs. Specific

• Global: Feeling overwhelmed, Whitney started to think, “This is going to affect every aspect of our lives.”
• Specific: They also considered that this issue, while serious, was specific to their girlfriend’s alcoholism as a coping mechanism and not indicative of their entire relationship.

Personalization – Internal vs. External

• Internal: Whitney began to question themselves, “Am I not supportive enough? Is this why they are drinking?”
• External: They also recognized that their girlfriend’s addiction was influenced by external factors like stress and possibly underlying mental health issues.

Impact of Attributions on Whitney: Whitney’s internal, stable, and global attributions initially led them to feel helpless and responsible for their girlfriend’s addiction, contributing to their own stress and anxiety. Whitney began to feel depressed, questioning their ability to help and support their girlfriend.

Intervention: Realisingtheir distress, Whitney sought support from a campus counsellor. The counsellor helped Whitney understand the complex nature of addiction and the importance of healthy attribution in coping with this situation. They worked on shifting Whitney’s attributions to help them feel more empowered and less personally responsible for their girlfriend’s behaviour.

Changing Attribution Habits

• Internal to External: Whitney learned to recognize that their girlfriend’s addiction was not a reflection of their supportiveness but rather a result of their personal struggles.
• Stable to Unstable: They began to see the situation as changeable, with the potential for improvement through therapy and support.
• Global to Specific: Whitney understood that while the addiction was a significant issue, it did not define their entire relationship or their entire personality.

Outcome: Whitney felt more in control and less burdened by guilt. They encouraged their girlfriend to seek professional help. Whitney joined a support group for partners of individuals struggling with addiction. Whitney’s understanding and supportive approach helped strengthen their relationship, and Whitney’s girlfriend began their journey towards recovery.

Conclusion: Whitney’s experience highlights the importance of understanding and managing attributions in the face of a loved one’s addiction. By shifting from internal, stable, and global attributions to more external, unstable, and specific ones, Whitney was able to cope better with the situation, support their girlfriend effectively, and maintain their own mental well-being. This case study underscores the significance of attribution styles in managing stress and supporting loved ones through challenging times, especially for young adults navigating complex personal relationships.

Image Attributions

Figure SUP WB.11. A group of friends of varying genders making a toast by Vice Gender Spectrum Collection is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license.