Discharging on an Addiction to Alcohol

Hi, excellent young adults! I would like to share a way my Co-Counselor counseled me on an addiction to alcohol.

He went to my refrigerator and poured out the beer while I watched and discharged. (Not my precious alcohol!) Then I poured it out while he gave me attention.

This brought up a lot of feelings. I discharged about the money I had spent that we were now “pouring down the drain.” I discharged on getting rid of my “last resort.” I expressed angry feelings that my Co-Counselor would have to be available to support me now that my numbing drugs were gone.

It was good to go slowly. We lingered on the sound of the bottle or can opening (psssshhhhhhh). I took time to smell the alcohol and discharged on all the memories of drinking that would come up.

We did this in multiple sessions. I was not always eager to do it. It was important that I had already been open and discharged with my Co-Counselor about using addictive substances. That prepared me for this more forceful push against my addiction.

Taylor Warinsky

Hartford, Connecticut, USA

Reprinted from the RC e-mail discussion
list for leaders of young adults

 


Last modified: 2019-05-21 23:40:52+00