The Preferred Defence Structure

The ‘Preferred Defence Structure’ (PDS) are the alcoholics mechanisms of defence which are used to protect themselves. An alcoholic can be observed to deny the amount he drinks, rationalise his behaviour, and project that behaviour onto another person, while blaming the alcohol for the behaviour. Psychologist John Wallace (1985) recognised PDS and suggested that it could be better utilised if it was used to achieve and maintain sobriety, rather than trying to remove those factors at the beginning of recovery. As the recovery journey progresses, and the addict has established new routines and new social relationships, the responsibility for the alcoholic behaviour can be reviewed in the safety of the therapy session. The recovering alcoholic