Comparative Study of Self-Destructive Behaviors, Irrational Beliefs, and Emotional Distress Tolerance in Two Male Groups of Recovering from Addiction to Narcotics and Stimulants

Aims: The cognitive, emotional, and behavioral-related problems associated with addiction to narcotics in the dependence situation and even treatment is different, depending on the type of narcotics; therefore, the aim of this study was to compare self-destructive behaviors, irrational beliefs, and emotional distress tolerance in two male groups of recovering from addiction to narcotics and stimulants. Instruments and Methods: The research method was descriptive comparative or post-event. The statistical population included all recovered drug addicts in 8 residential centers of Gorgan in spring 2017, 40 of whom were recovering from addiction to the opioid, and 40 patients were recovering from addition to the stimulants. These persons were selected by two-stage cluster sampling method. The data collection instruments were Jones' Irrational Beliefs Test (IBT), Emotional Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS), and Self-Destructive Behavior Questionnaire. The data were analyzed by multivariate variance analysis, using SPSS 24 software. Findings: There was a significant difference among the need for receiving confirmation from others, the tendency to blame, emotional irresponsibility, high concern with anxiety, avoidance of the problem and dependence on the variables of irrational beliefs and subscales of tolerance and absorption to the negative emotions in the emotional distress tolerance, and self-destructive behaviors in the two groups of men recovering from the opioid and stimulant with 95% confidence interval (p<0.05). Conclusion: Self-destructive behaviors, irrational beliefs, and emotional distress tolerance are in a better position in the men recovering from opioid compared with the men recovering from stimulants.