Beyond Rehab

I can play a very simple version of Duke Ellington’s “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” on guitar. Normally I use that song as a warm up to practice without paying too much attention to the lyrics. But today the lyrics were sinking in. I always assumed the song was about a break up with a girlfriend. But take a look at the lyrics and tell me if the lyrics, written by Bob Russel in 1942, could not be applied to alcohol.

Missed the Saturday dance/Heard they crowded the floor/Couldn’t bear it without you/Don’t get around much anymore. Thought I’d visit the club/Got as far as the door/They’d have asked me about you/Don’t get around much anymore. Been invited on dates/Might have gone but what for/Awfully different without you/Don’t get around much anymore.

Metaphors are common in life. I know many songs, especially old blues songs, needed to use seemingly innocent words—like, “squeeze my lemon, sugar in my bowl”—when they wanted to sing about sex. I’ve also heard that Sufis (mystics) often use the imagery and language of drunkenness to say things about God. The commitment and passion an alcoholic has to drink is an earthly parallel to the commitment and passion the Sufis have to feel God. They would say things like, “I want to get drunk before the sun even rises and then drink all day, savoring every drop of the sweet elixir.”  Sufis are all about experiencing what the heart truly desires, which they understood (in terms of words) to be God—or so I’ve heard.

So if Bob Russel is using the language of love to express feelings for alcohol, and if the Sufis are using the language of alcohol to express feelings for God, then what passionate yearning are we using alcohol to try to express? What is it we really desire? It’s difficult to say what, on a soul-satisfying level, we yearn for because it’s not something that’s easy to decipher. So some of us try to find our explanation in alcohol. But that’s more like throwing a blanket over our faces…we’ll never “see” anything that way. Underneath that frantic surface desire to keep the steady flow of alcohol in our blood is a much deeper desire to feel wonderful—soul-satisfying wonderful. I’m not talking about religion or beliefs. I’m talking about real live soul-satisfying experiencing—a kind of joyful, contented, even blissful feeling.

The bridge of the song, “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” kindly suggests we try not to think about what we’re missing: “Oh, Darling I guess my mind’s more at ease/But nevertheless, why stir up memories?” That’s one way to get along. But another way would be to consider opening ourselves up to soul-stimulating feelings—feelings that are in line with “soul-satisfying” experiencing.

How ironic that our soul’s urgency to fulfill our deeper yearnings—which is very often what leads us to drink in the first place—can be the ticket out of drug and alcohol dependency.

A Joke: “A young man and a young woman had been dating for four years, and the young man wanted very much to get married. His girlfriend, however, gave no sign that she was interested in marriage.

Finally, one night, the young man decided to try to get a commitment. After a romantic meal with soft music playing in the background, he said gently, “You know, my love, my greatest desire is to have a wife.”

“That’s fine, honey,” the young woman said. “But I’d like to continue seeing you occasionally.”

So the young woman is afraid of commitments. I shy away from certain commitments too, especially ones that feel restrictive. But I make commitments with ease when I feel they are useful and hopeful and possibly even exciting and great. No problem there.

If I knew the young woman in the joke above and I thought her boyfriend was an awesome match for her, I would give her this advice— “Jane,” when you feel afraid of committing to marriage, try this: say to yourself, “I am committing to discovering how much joy and laughter I can experience with this person. I am committing to discovering what wonderful things the two of us can create together and that will fulfill us both. I am committing to discovering how much LOVE I can grow with this person.”

And if “Jane” were a problem drinker and we both agreed alcohol was a terrible match for her, I would give her the same advice. I would say— “Jane,” when you feel afraid of committing to life without alcohol, try this: say to yourself, “I am committing myself to discover the best me who has been hiding under the veil of alcohol and/or drugs. I am committing myself to discover how much health I can feel in my body. I am committing myself to discover how much joy and LOVE I can find with life.”

Forget the small stuff—commit to the bigger picture. Commit yourself to discovering/uncovering the best of life, the best of you.

I came across an article today, “How to Quit Drinking without Alcoholics Anonymous.” Now bless its little heart for offering us alternatives—keep ‘em coming—but I want to say something about the “booze brain” idea the article talks about.

The article suggests that we objectify our “booze brain.” “Think of it as something separate from yourself, and learn to hear it speaking to you. It will try anything to get you to drink, because it falsely believes that you need to drink to survive. If you are feeling bad, it will tell you to drink to feel better. If you are feeling good, it will tell you to drink to party or celebrate.”

The problem I have with that is—it freaks me out! I don’t want to think there is some alien being in my head who will, “try anything to get me to drink.” Scary….

But—if you think it would help you to objectify your feelings—I have another way of thinking about unhealthy impulses or “booze brain” or “stinkin’ thinkin’” as it’s often put in AA. What I would suggest is that you try thinking about your sudden extreme impulses as emotions. And then think about those emotions as your children rather than some frightening bad creature thing.

Say for example you have a sudden overwhelming desire to get drunk or binge on an entire batch of cookies. You can treat that overwhelming desire with the same kindness and attention you would give to your child if they were begging you to eat only cookies for dinner. You can laugh or smile and say to that overly strong child/emotion impulse, “No, we’re not going to drink a case of beer or eat all those cookies. Sorry.” You would not destroy, hate or fear the child if the child/emotion persists. You remind yourself that you are the adult and you are in control. Change the subject, ignore the nagging and eventually the overpowering feelings will cease pestering you—until the next time, where you will practice again the same technique until it becomes natural and easy not to give into desires you know are not good for you. It really does get easier and easier to be good to yourself.

One of the reasons it took me so long to quit drinking is because I believed life would be dismal, difficult and depressing without it. That had always been my experience in the past.

The most dismal expectation and belief I had was that I would be doomed to be labeled alcoholic for the rest of my life. That belief began when I was first introduced to A.A. at age 14. In fact, everyone in the recovery community told me that was true. They said I would be an alcoholic for the rest of my life even if I never took another drink.

Today I am convinced that limited belief I first heard at age 14 is part of the reason quitting was always so difficult for me from then on. Under that belief I could either continue on a path of slow suicide-by-alcohol, or I could quit drinking, with my reward being that my name for the rest of my life would be, “Amy—Alcoholic/Drug Addict.”  Ick.

For centuries people believed the earth was flat and for centuries people were afraid to meet the horizon because they believed they would fall of the edge of the earth! If they ever thought to travel, trade, or invite a distant relative over for supper, they had to think again! That false belief affected their entire lives. It limited their possibilities.

If you fear letting go of alcohol or drugs or cigarettes because you believe it will be terrible from beginning to perhaps forever, remember that is a fear based on your belief, not facts. A miserable result does not need to be your experience—unless you believe that is so.

When I decided to quit drinking, I found I needed to go against the beliefs of conventional “wisdom.” I was only able to quit by doing things my way—even though conventional wisdom says “doing things my way” is part of the problem, not the solution. That conventional wisdom turned out to be false (the Earth is not flat!).

Do not limit yourself to rumors and other people’s beliefs—including your own limiting beliefs—about what must be done to quit drinking.

When people feared the earth was flat they were limited. But once they found out that was a false belief, they could sail all around the world, free to explore for the rest of their lives. I can assure you when it comes to quitting alcohol and drugs there are many people who have done so using non-conventional methods. If all that you’ve heard about quitting drinking or drugs depresses you, do not let that be the end of all hope. That is only limited belief based on limited exposure. So much more is possible. You are not doomed to sit in meetings for the rest of your life—if you can believe otherwise.

*Christopher Columbus did not discover the world was round. The ancient Greeks knew the earth was round, though the knowledge was largely forgotten in the Middle Ages.

Many people believe an addict is born that way. I am not one of those people. I think most people, particularly those in developed countries, are born into complications of family which then reflects into society, and vice versa. I believe most addicts, particularly those who struggle with alcohol and food, are extremely sensitive to their own suffering as well as to the suffering of the world around them. The difference between the sensitive addict person and the sensitive non-addict person is that somewhere along the line the sensitive non-addict person learned how to handle their painful feelings and emotions in a functional manner and the sensitive addict person has not.

I’ve learned that the healthiest way to handle painful feelings and emotions is to discover for oneself that horrible feelings really are temporary. Even the worst feeling in the world lessens over time.

The irony is that we use substances—alcohol, food, drugs—to stuff temporary feelings into temporary submission. Suppressing feelings has never been a successful technique when it comes to healing fears and painful emotions. The way to heal fears of painful emotions has more to do with entering into those feelings than with suppressing them. The idea is to enter into the fear, feel it fully (for 5  minutes or so), and then to gently remind yourself that it’s just a feeling, it can’t hurt you, and it will pass.

As I flipped through a dated issue of Real Simple magazine in the hotel lobby, I paused to look over an article titled, “How to Host a Laid-Back Game Night.” I mainly focused on the pictures but I was curious—what kind of alcohol will they suggest? I was curious because, one, I still have a slightly sadistic but good-natured desire to tease myself about what I won’t be having at any given party, and two, I like to cook and entertain and really…what would go well with the chosen meal and theme?

The article advises, “Since the sweet and spicy flavors of chili and corn bread can overwhelm many beers, serve dark and malty full-bodied brews.”

I wondered if there is a non-alcoholic replacement for a “dark and malty full-bodied brew”? No, I concluded. There is not. Not only would the flavor and consistency of that particular beer be difficult if not impossible to duplicate, but so would the elevated spirits people get from the effects of alcohol as well as the lifted mood people have just prior to drinking, when they know beer will be served and there is a party coming on.

So then I wondered—if the food were tasty enough, would the “Laid-Back Game Night” party be as much fun without alcohol as it would be with alcohol? I think, yes, possibly. With the right movie stars, roller coaster rides, live bands, naked bodies, and, oh yes, great food, an equally exciting “sober” party is possible. However, it would not be the same as the party serving alcohol.

It occurred to me then, while sitting in the hotel lobby, that what would actually go best with the “sweet and spicy flavors of chili and corn bread” was not in liquid form at all. It was obvious once I thought of it. I was focusing on the wrong items of consumption. I was focusing on what food and drink would be going down my throat. But it has never been food and drink that fulfill my deepest hungers. My deepest hunger is not to consume a substance but to allow in deep feelings of joy and pleasure from life around me—in a party situation and otherwise.

I know from my own experience that allowing in feelings of joy and pleasure takes practice. It would be unusual to  suddenly, by sheer declaration of desire, experience deep feelings of pleasure. But knowing that is what you desire now makes it possible to achieve. So, just like a malty, full bodied beer needs time to brew, so should you allow yourself time to taste the flavor of your new healthier habits. You can learn to be the great accompaniment to any meal (your life) with your sparkling spirit and your own unique flavor. That way you can enjoy the party too!

Okay Dr. Phil. I know you are really trying to help. I can see that in the list you’ve made on your “Overcoming Addictions” page. And yes, I must quote you now. Number one on your list for overcoming addictions is, “Find the courage to determine what you need that you’re not getting.”

Okay. Let’s find that courage. Where should I start? Under the bed perhaps? How about in the bathroom cabinet? Or maybe it’s out back with Rover, the dog.

I find that kind of advice so irritating when it comes from claimed experts in psychology. It really makes me wonder if they have any experience at all in the particular area they are advising on.

Tell the man who kneels beside his bed to pray every morning that it would be beneficial to pray in the evening as well and you’ll have a winner. The habit is there, the change not bewildering. But tell the man who has lost touch with his sense of courage that courage is, in fact, the very thing he needs in order to find out that it’s missing and you will have a loser—provided he’s not listening to what you’re actually saying.

Dr. Phil’s kind of “phase II” addiction advice actually has the potential of having an opposite effect. In this case, decreasing a person’s courage even further when they feel they can’t even do the first step correctly.

To analyze (in par with psychologist in mention) the previously quoted statement, I’m not so sure it takes much courage to “determine what you need that you’re not getting.”  To actually go after what you’ve determined would be the courageous affair in my book. But, regardless, I will address my question. How does a person who is “not getting” what brings him courage so that he is able to quit abusing his body with alcohol or drugs find the courage to find what he is missing in order to restore his courage? (Can you see the contradiction in this airy type of advice?) What would be my advice for finding courage—if, in fact, that were the number one thing a person must do to overcome an addiction?

As with all true emotional healing—there is no instant cure. This is an area that is built upon, nurtured, strengthened, encouraged, and eventually, believed. There are many ways to work on building strength and courage. I’ve located several sites that offer techniques and courage building strategies. Take a look, because actually I do believe it’s true—courage is vital when letting go of addictions.

Conquest of Fear and the Developement of Courage by Brian Tracy (don’t get caught up in the statement, “the root source of fear is childhood conditioning.” While this may be true, it is not the important focus).

How to Build Courage by Cyd Madsen. A great first person tale about how one woman conquered agoraphobia (much in the same way I dealt with my alcohol dependency—with, as she puts it, “anger and determination that I absolutely would not go down to some strange illness that nobody seemed to understand.”

Ten Steps For tapping Into Courage by Robert Knowlton. An imagery exercise.

Brian Beane, Founder of 8th Wonder Enterprises. A very short youtube video with Brian Beane speaking on courage.

I just saw the 2008 version of The Day the Earth Stood Still. The movie involves the assumption that humans do not change until they are on the brink of destruction. That’s interesting. The same phenomenon happens to us “drunks” when we hit bottom.

It is because of that shared “phenomenon” (and several others) that I do not believe people who struggle with alcohol and drugs are diseased. I can see that those who drink and use drugs struggle with a tendency that lives in all human beings. Their struggle may be on a much deeper level, but it is nonetheless a struggle with what is a universal tendency—to resist change.

Many addicts report having “hit bottom” before they were able to grab themselves by the boot straps and turn their lives around. But that is not something that only occurs in the life and mind of an alcoholic or drug addict. That pattern—making necessary change only at the brink of destruction—happens to all sorts of people when they reach a certain level or circumstance that is so displeasing they can’t take it anymore.

On the other hand, there are people who reach the brink of destruction and do not make any changes. They die that way. Hitting bottom is not a magic cure. It often frightens people enough to make life-altering changes, but not every time.

There are also people on the planet who have a slight sense they could live better before they notice any sort of destruction in their life. This person might not be seeing any immediate results from their bad habits but has the determination to make adjustments in the present. They do not need to reach a brink of destruction. The difference between this person and the person who does not make changes and therefore dies is not disease. The difference is that one person is understanding and mastering the universal dynamics of change, the other is not.

While hitting bottom or nearing the brink of destruction has certainly been proven to wake some people up, it can also allow for irreversible damage and it does not always succeed as a method to instigate positive change.

Here is a fact: No matter when a person (or entire planet) decides to change, doing so requires effort. But I’ll tell you one thing in regards to effort and drinking. Drinking every single day, year after year, also requires effort—and a LOT of it. So again I return to my principle of self-care. What would you wish upon your most beloved? Near insurmountable obstacles, or the easier route—change while you still have a choice.

This morning I decided to watch (via Netfix’s “watch instantly” feature) “The Lost Weekend,” (1945).  It is the first movie to accurately portray an alcoholic in a character study.

In the following scene the main character, Don Birnam, an unsuccessful alcoholic writer, is in the middle of explaining to the bartender, “Nat,” the plot of a book he’s planning to write based on himself and his experience with the woman in his life, Helen. It’s about a how a high class lady got mixed up with an alcoholic.

Bartender: Okay, so they go to that cocktail party and he gets stinko and falls flat on his face.

Don: He does not. By this time he’s crazy about the girl. He drinks tomato juice. Doesn’t touch the liquor that whole week. For two weeks. For six weeks!

Bartender: In Love, huh?

Don: That’s what’s going be so hard to write. Love is the hardest thing in the world to write about. It’s so simple. You’ve got to catch it through details, like the early morning sunlight hitting the gray tin of the rose garden in front of her house, the ringing of a telephone that sounds like Beethoven’s Pastorale, a letter scribbled on her office stationary that you carry around in your pocket because it smells like all the lilacs in Ohio….

I find it interesting that both the cynical bartender and the alcoholic so easily—naturally—accept that love can make a grown man stop drinking.

Love—not only romantic love—is a central, essential human need. That is why I stress over and over the importance of self-care when healing from addictions. It is so important to nourish not only your physical body but your heart and soul as well, because that is where love blooms.

Returning to the movie…

Helen: The only way to start is to stop. There is no cure besides just stopping.
Don: Can’t be done.
Helen: Other people have stopped.
Don: People with a purpose, with something to do.

The “purpose” and “something to do” is that which inspires you to feel love towards yourself and love towards others. That is what will help you feel purpose and feel like you are doing (or can do) “something.” A good way to get started is to cultivate inner awareness. You can study from the teachings of the Dalai Lama or from those who have “examined” Socrates or from contemporary teachers such as Louis Hay, Shakti Gawain, Ron Scolastico. There are many others. Learn how to observe from those who have learned. You can expand your feelings of love, compassion and understanding.

“The worst thing about some men is that when they are not drunk they are sober.” William Butler Yeats.

Why, oh, why is it so difficult to give up alcohol?

Actually, it’s not. The physical suffering of alcohol withdrawal passes relatively quickly. What is so difficult is being emotionally uncomfortable—and for an undetermined length of time.

There are two ways a person can stop drinking. One way is to engage in a process of emotional transformation, part of which involves no longer drinking alcohol. The other way—the “Dry Drunk” way—is to just give up using alcohol without engaging in any process of emotional transformation.

If a person has only given up drinking—that is great! That is essential no matter what you decide to do with your thoughts and emotions after you quit. But if a person wants to feel better, then there is more to do.

A person who wishes not to be a “Dry Drunk” needs  to take action to find ways to enrich their soul as well as refrain from drinking. If not, the person could easily become angry, resentful and unpleasant.