The Alcoholic Family Sociodrama Explores Social Atom Roles

Authors

  • Karen Carnabucci Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12926/vzkyrv79

Keywords:

alcoholic family, alcoholism, addiction, family roles, sociodrama, psychodrama

Abstract

Sociodrama is an excellent tool for working with substance abuse concerns. This article shows how to help family members who have experienced alcoholism and addiction in the family setting explore social atom roles. Clinicians and educators are well aware that psychodramatic enactments sometimes can become so intensely personal as to increase resistance rather than dissolve it. Sociodrama is an invaluable educational tool that allows for greater emotional distance from the subject being explored. It supports the exploration of issues such as family dynamics, for example, in a less direct but still-engaging way, and particularly the traditional roles of the hero, scapegoat, lost child, and mascot.

References

Dayton, T. (2000). Trauma and Addiction: Ending the Cycle of Pain Through Emotional Literacy. Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications.

Garcia, A. & Sternberg, P. (2000). Sociodrama: Who’s in Your Shoes? (2nd ed.). Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.

Wegscheider-Cruse, S. (1990). Another Chance: Hope and Health for the Alcoholic Family. Palo Alto, CA: Science and Behavior Books.

Downloads

Published

2026-01-22

Issue

Vol. 60 No. 2 (2012): Journal of Psychodrama, Sociometry, & Group Psychotherapy

Section

Practitioners' Corner

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Psychodrama, Sociometry, and Group Psychotherapy

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

You are free to:

  1. Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
  2. The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.

Under the following terms:

  1. Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
  2. NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
  3. NoDerivatives — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material.
  4. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

Notices:

You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation.

No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.