Overcoming Alcohol Addiction
Once you have corrected your thinking about alcohol, and understand that there is never any "logical" reason to drink alcohol, all that remains to deal with is the sensation of withdrawal - meaning that desire for the sensations of intoxication. The feeling often has a near-magical allure because of the false-positive qualities we've associated it with. Some of that allure may be wearing off already as you've corrected your old perceptions.
There are three things that I try to keep in mind about this aspect of alcohol addiction:
- The sensation of being "drunk" is actually the result of
the body being poisoned by alcohol. And as stated by Wikipedia, "cell
membranes are highly permeable to alcohol, so once alcohol is in the
bloodstream it can diffuse into nearly every biological tissue of the
body". This means that while we indulge in one particular alcohol
side effect, just about all parts of our bodies are suffering the toxicity
and damaging effects of the poison. Anything positive we feel is not
at all appropriate for the situation. We should actually feel sick.
- There is nothing special or original about the sensation of intoxication. It's practically the same feeling every time we do it - it's nothing new. Fools have been falling for this feeling for thousands of years, and people still destroy their lives for it. Some people practically dedicate their entire day to street-begging for enough money to buy some of the sensation. And it's just a simple sensation. Do you want to trade the magic and potential of life for one sensation? Have you ever met a drunk that you respected, who you wanted to be like?
And most importantly:
- The desire for mental "numbness" or "oblivion"
(or whatever you like to call it) is more accurately a desire to escape
the emotional sensations of your sober reality. Alcohol is an easy escape
that numbs the mind from just about any emotional discomfort that comes
along. The problem is that emotional ups and downs are a necessary part
of life. If we use alcohol as an emotional crutch (as many people who
begin using alcohol as teenagers do), then we may fail to fully discover
and trust in our ability to cope with and move through emotional adversity.
And because we live on an emotional pendulum, if we numb ourselves to
the emotional lows, we'll inevitably cheat ourselves out of the highs
we desire. It is only through knowing the lows that we will be able
recognize and appreciate the highs. If you want to feel the real magic
that life has to offer, you must live "fully" on the emotional
pendulum.
My Alcohol Rehab Technique
Once you've corrected any self-deceptive thoughts that you hold about alcohol addiction, and decided that the sensation of intoxication is not something you want trade the possibility of a good life for, you've laid the groundwork to stop drinking alcohol. The technique that follows consists of 4 mental exercises (remember, to stop drinking is primarily a mental battle) that will help you reach that goal. Each one takes about 5 minutes. Note that you cannot simply read these exercises - you must practice them in order to see how effective they are. I suggest printing this and the next page out so that you can practice at least once a day for a week or so. By that time, you'll know if they are useful for you or not.
For all these exercises, you should be in a seated position, in an area
free from distractions.
Mental Exercise #1:
Does some part of you want a drink right now? Do you feel any craving at all? If so, close your eyes and feel that sensation of "wanting" as clearly as possible. Don't try to change it - just focus your attention on it and describe it. For example, say "craving, you are heavy, thick, solid, intense" - and so on. Use simple words to describe how the sensation feels. Do this for 2-3 minutes. Really get to know that sensation of desire as deeply as possible. In doing so, you are learning to get comfortable with the sensation, rather than trying to change it or suppress it (with alcohol). So many alcohol rehab programs and techniques are focused on reducing cravings. But I have found that learning to be comfortable with, accept, and even appreciate such sensations to be a much more powerful approach to moving through alcohol withdrawal.
Also, since alcohol has the ability to numb strong emotions, you've probably learned to cope with anxiety, anger, sadness, boredom, and all the other difficult emotions by drinking. This mental exercise is an awesome replacement for that tendency. Whenever you find yourself thinking about a drink due to an emotion like one of these, try this same exercise. Take a few minutes to turn inwardly, verbally describe the sensation, and become comfortable with it. Even if you think you'll decide to take the drink, be sure you practice this exercise first for at least a few minutes. Turn the experience into a practice opportunity in your effort to stop drinking alcohol.
Mastering this exercise will give you a powerful tool to manage cravings,
and it will enable you to not rely so heavily on drinking to cope with
difficult emotions. In fact, regardless of how you feel, practice this
exercise as often as possible in your every mental state, with every
emotion that comes along. Mastering this exercise will empower you to
be comfortable with the feelings that once prompted you to drink, and
it will give you the inner strength move beyond alcohol addiction.