Research Paper

Christopher Colas
Pacific Oaks College
Throughout the semester we have gone into detail about how children learn. We have
specifically focused on two theorists and how their theories have impacted the way we teach and
view children as they learn. During this, I have kept my focus on the field that I am currently in
and tried to use Lev Vygotsky's theories of learning, such as his zone of proximal development
theory where he studies the difference between what a learner can do without help and what he
or she can do with help. I wanted to learn how Vygotsky's work can help me to learn how people
in different stages of recovery develop.
To be able to best help people in recovery I am always looking for ways to use what I learn at
POC and modify it into my job, working with recovering addicts and alcoholics. So, I have
decided to take this opportunity and document what I have learned and written about how I
believe Lev Vygotsky's theories can be a great value to someone in the field of recovery and
addiction.
I will like to start out by giving a brief look at addiction itself and how it affects the learning
development process, by doing that I will be able to Segway into recovery which is the field I am
currently in. I want to pair off a person in recovery with a child who is learning something for the
first time. When reading my discussions and papers I have had a common thread in my belief
that a person who is new in recovery and fresh out of her or his addiction, has very similar traits
and learning obstacles as well as goals as a child might have. Thirdly I wanted to turn my
attention to a field that I want to eventually work in and that is working with youth that has been
affected by addiction themselves or through their environment. So, I have prepared an interview
with one of my client's son. I want to know how he's dealing with addiction and recovery has
impacted his development in any way. There are several definitions of addiction and alcoholism
out there, you may have heard the definition that the Webster's dictionary definition;
"compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (such as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol)
characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal;
broadly: persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful" (Webster's
dictionary, 2017). The American Society of Addiction Medicine has their own definition, as well
as the Journal of American Medal Association. the 12 Step fellowships such as AA or NA may
have the best definition for addiction; "In its most generalized understanding, the 12 Step
fellowships define addiction and alcoholism as a threefold illness: a physical allergy, a mental
obsession and a spiritual malady" (MARC, 2016, p1).
These three stages of addiction are very important in an addict's recovery, for the purposes of
this paper I will be focusing on the steps that affect our mental ability to live a normal daily
lifestyle and achieve certain goals. Vygotsky based his theory on the importance of social
interaction when developing learning skills, I have worked with addicts in recovery and I have
been in their shoes and still am in many ways as well. The learning skills that a person who is in
recovery develops again during their battle with addiction are the same skills that we would try
to teach our children in the home or at school. these developmental tools consist of; coping
mechanisms, independent living skills, controlling your emotions, and good social interaction
skills. That last one in the list "good social interactions" is especially relevant when talking about
Vygotsky. He believed that good social interactions are the key element for a child's learning
development. It is just as true for the recovering addict and alcoholic; "A 2013 study, reported in
the journal Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, found that the development of a social identity
that highlighted a "recovery identity" vs. an "addiction identity" was useful for reducing relapse
among the study participants" (Milios, 2014, P1). By rehabilitating our social environment and
gaining basic social skills we are learning to live in a world that we have not fit into due to our
addiction, just like children who don't fit into a world, not due addiction but due to their
inexperience in life. As recovering adults, we engage in relationship and social interaction to
strengthen our new lives such as making new friends and finding people we can look up to and
come to for support such as sponsors. A child in the learning environment will do the same
things she or he will make new friends boosting her or his emotional moral and find mentors and
adult figures to guide and help them.
While working with alcoholics and addicts I have found that the building of new relationships
can often time be much easier than repairing the ones that we have destroyed due to our
addiction. We can build a new social environment much easier than fixing a new one. The
purpose of this section of my paper is to focus on how addicts can completely ruin our selves
socially and the effect it has on others. So, if Vygotsky's social learning theory bases itself on the
precedents and importance of a social environment over development, I am curious to see how
an addicts lack of social skills and destructive relationship actions will have on those around us
as well as ourselves.
I prepared an interview with the son of one of the men who live in my sober living house. I
asked the man if he that his addiction has affected his relationships, and if so has it affected his
new recovery development. He said that it has no doubt affected him in many ways. I asked him
if he thought his child has shown signs of this behavior and if so did he think it was due to genes
or the environment he has been put in. he offered to let me interview him. for privacy reasons I
will not use the kids' real name instead I will call him Daniel because this boy has truly survived
a den of lions. His father has been in prison for the past three years and before that he was
criminal and a meth addict and alcoholic who wreaked havoc on Daniel and his family. I
interviewed him about life before and after his father's recovery and wanted to know how it has
impacted his own life.
"Daniel thank you for doing this interview. How has your life changed since you and your dad
have been reunited and your father has changed his life around?"
"It's been great my dad takes me places now and we have lots of fun, me and my sisters go on
trips with my dad and my mom and they don't fight as much anymore."
"That's great! Do you like your dad's new house?"
"Yes, its huge and everyone is very nice here I like coming to visit him I get to play video games
with him and his friends at the house"
"when you go home after being with your dad is it better than before your dad was here?"
"Yeah, everyone seems cooler, my mom isn't as mad all the time me and my sisters fight less,
and I don't get into as much trouble."
 I finished the interview with Daniel there but asked his dad if he noticed how his behaviors were
changing his sons. He went into detail about how much he has noticed, he told me that Daniel
was struggling before he came back into his life. He was fighting and didn't have any friends, he
was struggling socially, failing in school, misbehaving at home, and struggling to develop safe
relationships with the people around him. He expressed that by him changing his environment it
has impacted his son's environment as well. Now Daniel is starting to make friends, his teachers
are sending home positive reports and his mother has noticed a tremendous change in his
behavior.
I wasn't sure if this interview was going to tie in with Vygotsky and his theory of social and
environmental relationships affect on learning. But once I did the interview and was able to see
this family experience it became clear to me that I needed to include it. when we talk about how
much our environment and our social life and relationships impact the developmental stages of
life it is clear that our surrounding is very important. While Daniels father was in his addiction
their relationship was broken. His father coped with this social blockage by self-medicating with
drugs and alcohol, while Daniel would cope with it by acting out at home and isolating himself
from other relationships. Their entire social structure was a mess and as a result of this, their
lives had become unmanageable.
By changing his life and surrounding himself in a safer, healthy, sober environment, change is
visible on both father and son. Daniel has clearly noticed his father's environment has changed.
He mentioned his new house and new friends, as well as the repaired relationship with his mom
and sisters. Proving that when you are in a good "learning" environment you are more likely to
succeed. Daniel noticed his father's environment and was also able to have a fresh new healthy
environment of his own, resulting in positive social relationships and improved learning
outcomes due to his positive lifestyle environment that his father's sobriety has created.
Environment is very important to a person in recovery. Recovery author Rita Milios said; "In
many ways, we define ourselves by the company we keep, and for those in recovery, building
friendships and relationships that support different aspects of themselves and their lives is
essential" (Milios, 2015, P1). When we have surrounded ourselves with bad things to the point
where we have hit rock bottom then a change of environment is the best thing. I can attest to the
value of a strong environment and positive people to be able to help learn this new way of life.

in conclusion, I believe that Vygotsky's theory that states the importance of environment and
social relationships for learning can be subject to the life of a recovering addict quite well. The
life we as recovering addicts have come to know is that of one who must start from the
beginning. Similar to children we are at the start of a new life. Things are new, we may be
frightened by certain things and exited by others. By surrounding ourselves in an environment
that will help us socially, mentally, physically, and emotionally both children and recovering
addicts enhance their chances of success very much.
References:

Keiflin, R., & Janak, P. H. (2015). Dopamine prediction errors in reward learning and addiction:
From theory to neural circuitry.

Rita Milios (2015) How Social Connections Affect Recovery: Pro Talk A Rehabs.com
Community. https://www.rehabs.com/pro-talk-articles/how-social-connections-affect-recovery/

Treehouse (2016) Learning Life Skills While In Treatment For Addiction.

http://www.treehouserehab.org/learning-life-skills-while-in-treatment-for-addiction/

Donna Leigh Bliss. (2009) Beyond the Disease Model: Reframing the Etiology of Alcoholism
From a Spiritual Perspective. Journal of Teaching in the Addictions

Alcoholics Anonymous. (2001). Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition. New York: A.A. World
Services.

Jensen, E. (2005). Teaching with the brain in mind: Revised (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA:
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
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Oakley, L. (2004). Cognitive development. New York, NY: Routledge.