Pepper, S. E. (2012). The Role of Experiential Avoidance in Trauma, Substance Abuse, and Other Experiences (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of North Texas, Texas.
Most people will at some point in their lives experience a traumatic event. Experiencing trauma is often correlated with substance abuse, aggression, impulsivity, and the development of various psychopathologies such as posttraumatic Stress disorder (PTSD) (Jakupcak & Tull, 2005; Roy, 2005; Widom, Schuck, & White, 2006). Research suggests experiential avoidance (EA) – or efforts to avoid, dismiss, or change experiences such as emotions, behaviors, and thoughts – worsens prognosis (Hayes et al., 2004). While EA is a fairly new term and is intended to be a broad construct, there is a long-standing theoretical and empirical tradition of examining similar terms in relation to traumatic events (e.g., cognitive avoidance, emotional avoidance, and avoidant coping; Hayes, Wilson, Gifford, Folette, & Strosahl, 1996). While the role EA plays following a traumatic event has been well documented, the role of EA in aspects related to trauma such as substance abuse, aggression, and impulsivity are still unclear. Thus, the current paper discusses these topics and outlines a research study which further explored relationships among these constructs and the importance of EA in relation to them.