A lot of people enjoy the sway of a Friday night gathering or weekend few glasses of wine to decompress that allows them to relax and not think about the vagaries of the past working week schedule. That is contained and measured within reason.
For some individuals societal pressures could be viewed as being frenetic in some shape or form and their ability to contain such pressures are being stretched to the maximum. They also have the added responsibilities of raising a family. Or not. Maybe you are a single individual who is trying to navigate life by yourself. Added to this, your core beliefs about yourself that have fermented over time, can perpetuate the phenomena aptly named Stress. “I should be achieving this” “I’m not fitting in” “I’m alone” are just a few examples of how we can navigate our wellbeing into a rabbit hole of self-degradation that can lead to perpetuating a cycle of addiction. The Oxford dictionary describes ‘addiction’ as: “the condition of being unable to stop using or doing something as a habit, especially something harmful”. Whilst that offers a descriptive terminology. It doesn’t offer solutions. My Counselling in Hertfordshire offers a safe and non-judgemental exploration of why you might be trapped in an unhealthy cycle. Where your distorted core beliefs, for example, about yourself and your life can be gently eased out and made sense of. Understanding oneself is very empowering and can place you back at the wheel of the driver’s seat. You can choose which direction you need to go to with the aid of professional facilitation.
Over the years, I’ve heard comments such as “I’m not an addict, I don’t drink first thing in the morning” that is a total misnomer. It’s not necessarily the time of day we are drinking (“It’s 5 o’clock somewhere”) it’s the interpretation that gets lost. The gist of what I’m trying to convey is that we all have certain unhealthy coping mechanisms (not just alcohol) that can become entrenched over time. We are habitual creatures at heart after all. If alcohol is a reliable source of relief, why question it? Whether it be an everyday activity within GMT acceptable perimeters or every weekend. The question that is not being asked is why has this become a habit? Is there something inside of ourselves that needs resolving? Once and for all.
Alcohol consumption is not necessarily the primary objective of this blog. My Counselling in Hertfordshire can help to identify the core issues that need addressing. The objective is to outline the numerous unhealthy distractions that we use in order to deflect away from what actually needs addressing. That’s the cornerstone of where to begin. Within ourselves. If you feel that you would like to address some of your unhealthy ways of coping with life and the people in it. Please contact me today to discuss in confidence. Let us find new ways forward at Penny Glazebrook Counselling and Psychotherapy.
