Alcohol

Alcohol is a substance, when consumed slows down the nervous system and creates a false sense of relaxation. Drinking also reduces our inhibition, judgment, and memory. A lot of people use it in an attempt to forget certain painful memories, to feel more relaxed or even to be able to have fun. For some people, life seems unbearable without the use of booze.

So, I believe it is safe to say that, although alcohol in small doses or occasional consumption can help us to have more fun in social gatherings and enjoy ourselves, without any serious repercussions for our health. But regular consumption and large doses create a true health hazard and damage our relationship with ourselves and others.

The regular consumption of alcohol has been linked to the amount of trauma we carry inside of us. The more trauma we carry, the more internal stress we experience. The more internal stress we experience, the more reactive we become.

So let’s dive into a bit more detail about the connection between trauma and stress and the consumption of alcohol.

Trauma

Ever since we are conceived we experience trauma in one or another form. It could be the mother experiencing some stress, during the pregnancy, or we experience some stress. Even if you look at it the birth process is stressful for the mother and the child. We can experience cold for the first time or the next feed is delayed… These are all stressors for the newborn. The more we grow, the more we are exposed to different circumstances, that cause us stress. We all experience it in the range of mild fear to blood-freezing terror.

Some of us have been exposed to less stress, while others have gone through much more terrifying experiences. Experiences worth being filmed. While some stress is needed to teach us how to survive, i.e. to put another layer on when we are cold or how to find food in the fridge or the cupboard, others are truly heartbreaking.

Depending on the personality, some stress situations can be mild for some and severe for others. When an individual has undergone a severe stress situation and cannot process it, that individual might turn and stay in flight in response to all stressful situations that come next.

This is one of the reasons why some people turn to drinking. We should not forget that everything we do, we do it to feel better. Exactly this desire drives people to drink at the weekends – to relieve the stress they have accumulated during their working week. Others drink, so they can feel more confident, especially when it comes to dating or socializing. We can see how drinking liquor can aid us in achieving some of our goals. But is it really a good long-term solution or just a short-term solution to a long-term inhabitance?

In this article, I would like to explore drinking as a flight response.

Drinking

Alcohol is a multi-purpose substance. It can disinfect wounds and kill bacteria and viruses, but at the same time, it is addictive. Why do we drink? As I have mentioned, everything we do, we do it to feel better. So we consume alcohol when we celebrate, we drink when we feel sad, we drink when we feel overwhelmed, and so on. We drink, so we feel a bit more at ease. Having a drink or two, now and again, is OK. But here I am emphasizing drinking regularly.

In my practice, I have noticed that those, who drink on a regular basis, usually have a deep issue or a few, that they want to forget. This issue comes from a childhood experience, that was really painful for the person. Through using alcohol these individuals do their best to try and avoid the emotional pain. Once I help them to work out what the issue is, they do not feel the need to drink anymore. It is amazing how a few questions and a deep dig can change a person’s life.

If people drink to forget, I see a problem. Not just any problem but I see a desire for happiness and peace but there is a block in the way. That block is deeply rooted in their subconscious mind and people do not know what to do with it, so they think that through excessive use of alcohol, all will be forgotten.

Unfortunately, this is not the case, because when they are sober, the pain comes back with a vengeance, accompanied by a hefty hangover.

From my work with alcoholics, I have learnt that there are two levels of addiction

Physical and mental.

The physical level of addiction is clear. The body becomes addicted to the substance. And if the substance is missing, through pain, the body lets you know.

Mental addiction, however, is more dangerous. This is an addiction to thought patterns. Addiction to expecting the worst, based on what has happened in the past. Even addiction to feeling helpless and undeserving. I have found out that all these thoughts are constantly on the alcoholics’ minds because once the physical addiction kicks in, they give in to it. That causes them to feel worthless, because everyone else, keeps on telling them that they are killing themselves. And they know that very well.

But what they do not know is, exactly how to stop and stay clean. Rehabilitation centers and 12-step programs work to a large extent but the relapse happens because of a clear understanding of the initial reason.

This is where my passion lies: to find the initial reason and remove it.

Once the initial reason is removed, the client becomes extremely motivated and focused on their own healing and well-being. They start to take full responsibility for their life and what happens to them. It is truly magical to see how a client just tells you, after a while, how they have changed their own life.

This is what I call true empowerment and standing on one’s two feet

If you are struggling with alcohol addiction and want to find the root cause of it, book your session with me: