Background: Emotional experience and emotional regulation relate to one’s health and their difficulties could be one of the reasons or results of alcohol dependency. Goal: The aim of the study was to determine whether there are relationships between the dimensions of emotional experience and emotional regulation, including its total score of alcohol addicts in treatment. Another goal was to examine the differences in the dimensions of emotional experience and the total score of emotional regulation and its dimensions at the end of ten weeks’ institutional treatment compared to its beginning. Methods: The research goal was to answer the research question related to mutual relationships of emotional regulation and emotional experience and their dimensions. We tested hypothesis of assumed differences in emotional experience and regulation of emotions at the beginning and at the end of alcohol dependency treatment. The sample consisted of 33 participants (M = 46,82; SD = 9,396). Only patients without withdrawal symptoms, dual diagnosis and pharmacological therapy were included into to the research sample. Two research tools were administrated - Emotional experience questionnaire (DEP36) and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). Results: Relationships and differences were tested by parametric statistic tests. The outcomes of analysis proved significant relationships of positive and negative emotional experience with the dimensions of emotional regulation - Impulse Control Difficulties, Limited Access to Emotion Regulation Strategies, Lack of Emotional Clarity and also with the total score of emotional regulation. Negative emotional experience significantly correlates with Nonacceptance of Emotional Response. The results did not confirm significant differences in the dimensions of emotional experience at the end of treatment compared with the beginning. There was a significant difference in the overall emotional regulation score at the end of institutional treatment. Significant differences in the dimensions of emotional regulation were proved for Nonacceptance of Emotional Responses, Difficulties Engaging in Goal-Directed Behavior and Limited Access to Emotion Regulation Strategies. Conclusion: The research outcomes correspond with other research findings related to changes in emotional regulation and emotional experience of the addicts in treatment. This change correlate with the benefits of the dependency treatment and for some addicts it can contribute to their motivation for abstinence.

Key words: emotional experience – emotional regulation – alcohol dependency