Chapter 13
Breaking Free from Addiction
In This Chapter
Understanding the truth about addiction
Finding ways to stop addictive behaviour
Staying free of addiction
Focusing on alcohol addiction
When you’re addicted to a substance or behaviour, you often feel as if you’ve lost control over what you’re doing, including whether or not you want to consume the substance or engage in the action. Addiction includes dependency on drugs and/or alcohol, but almost anything can lead to addictive behaviour patterns: gambling; having sex with many partners; overusing the Internet; feeling a compulsion to exercise daily for two hours or more (unless it’s your profession); or eating too little or too much (the latter can be followed by self-induced vomiting).
Fortunately, you can use mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) to overcome addictions and compulsions. This chapter provides useful insights and practical mindfulness meditations that you can use to tackle all sorts of addictive behaviours. I take an in-depth look at alcohol addiction, because alcohol is such a common destructive habit, but the mindfulness interventions and techniques I describe are transferable to most addictions to help you regain control over your life.
A core thread running through this chapter is discovering how to be with cravings without falling under their spell, and the kind of mindset to develop to free yourself from addiction. I give suggestions as to what to expect or be prepared for when escaping from these destructive habits.
Suddenly trying to stop some types of addiction by yourself can cause discomfort and weariness, and maybe headaches too. Other types of addiction, though, may cause extreme distress and physical withdrawal symptoms, so I caution you from walking this road on your own. Please seek the help of a medical professional if you intend to tackle an addiction to alcohol, medication or other drugs.
Discovering the Realities of Addiction
The term addiction refers to a physical dependency on substances such as alcohol, nicotine, cocaine ingestion, and so on. But it also includes any physical state in which someone compulsively engages in an action that eventually destroys their lifestyle and health, including gambling, shopping, eating disorders and body dysmorphic disorder (see the later sidebar ‘Severe bodily addictions’). The focus of the habit isn’t what’s important; what matters is the fact that addictive behaviour is often the only form of stress-release the person knows. In fact, people with an addictive temperament or predisposition frequently switch addictive actions from one type of addiction to another. A person who gives up nicotine, for example, may switch to eating compulsively instead.
Whatever the addiction, the crucial insight is to acknowledge that addiction is rarely a search for pleasure, but a misdirected coping style. Initially, it may have been pleasurable, but the ongoing continuation becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary life responsibilities, such as work or relationships, as well as personal health and wellbeing. Often, sufferers aren’t aware that their behaviour is out of control and causing problems for themselves and others. In this section, I discuss addiction, including its causes and symptoms.
Filling a void – why people get addicted
Many people who resort to addictive behaviour (that in the long run leads towards self-destruction) initially believe that the same behaviour can save them. For example, if you fear giving a talk in front of others, flying on a plane or engaging in conversation with a person you very much like, you can feel the need of a crutch so you select a drink. And voila, it works! You make the speech successfully, enjoy the flight or get your dream date. Next time, when the fear returns, you rarely tell yourself ‘I can do it, just like last time.’ No, you’ve developed a belief that all will be well if only you have that little something . . . and so it starts and goes on. Soon you avoid any discomfort or anxiety with a little help from your ‘friend’, and you need more and more. Sooner or later, you’re stumbling over your own feet and life begins to unravel around you.
Many people initially use alcohol to self-medicate for anxiety, loneliness and depression, only to find out that their miraculous aid becomes the bane of their life.
Whatever the addiction you’re struggling with, please write down in your diary what event the substance or activity first helped you with. When you’re aware of what you needed it for, you can retrain your way of thinking and use mindfulness to help you be with your anxiety and loneliness and help you let go of the destructive habit.
Severe bodily addictions
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) describes an obsessive tendency with one’s looks. Sufferers perceive parts of their face as being distorted, ugly and therefore unacceptable to live with. Frequently the disorder leads people to save all their money and undergo numerous operations in order to achieve the perfect look. Of course, this look is never achieved, so sufferers often work just for the next surgical intervention. Yet to other people the reason why the forehead, nose, chin or whatever is deemed so unattractive by the individual that it needs changing is totally unclear.
Connected to BDD, and one of the most difficult forms of addiction, is anorexia nervosa in which people perceive themselves as overweight. This perception can refer to only one part of the body; for example, the tummy is seen as needing to be flatter and more concave. Sufferers largely stop eating and add diuretics and severe exercise regimes in order to lose even more weight. Bulimia nervosa, on the other hand, tends to encourage sufferers to overeat and then be sick and/or use diuretics to rid themselves of the unwanted food intake. Both conditions (which sometimes occur simultaneously) cause great danger to mental and physical health.
Looking at common factors of addiction
Several factors are common to people who become dependent on addictive behaviour. This section is important because it shows you how easily addiction can happen, and also that you aren’t alone or untypical:
Biology: The tendency to become addicted can be inherited. If you have relatives who are or were addicted, you may be more likely to develop an addiction yourself.
Emotional conditions: Depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder can increase the risk of addiction if you remain undiagnosed. For example, you may be self-medicating repeated emotional pain through alcohol abuse.
Environment: If you grow up in a home with parents or other significant elders who display an addiction, you’re more likely to think that, say, drinking alcohol or smoking is okay. This belief increases your odds of developing an addiction.
Mistreatment: If you’ve experienced physical, emotional, psychological or sexual abuse, you’re more likely to develop an addiction. Your addiction may be the only way to cope with the ongoing negative emotions, trauma or flashbacks.
Low frustration tolerance: Perhaps you get easily upset over everyday stress factors or when life doesn’t work out the way you want it to. This tendency can lead to a desire to escape.
In order to develop mindful interventions so that you no longer need the substance or activity that has been your support, you need to explore the root cause of your addiction. Remember that your addiction doesn’t define you. It may have taken over too much of your life, but you can reclaim every aspect of it by being honest and investigating its origins.
Turn to Chapter 9 and read the pebble meditation, which is wonderful for uncovering deep layers of the unconscious and perhaps the hidden causes of your addiction. Consider exploring it on several occasions and writing down any insights that help you understand why you resorted to addiction when you did. You may find that the substance served as a crutch, or you wanted to be part of the crowd or you followed the example of a parent or significant elder. Gaining insight helps you continue letting go of disappointment and anger and move towards acceptance and compassion, though the process can take weeks or months.
For an example of how knowing the why and what can be a step towards liberating yourself from addiction, read the sidebar ‘Martin’s story’.
Wanting to Stop: The Process of Change
Before actually starting to make a change, you may find yourself in a state of pre-contemplation, where you think about change and maybe even consider how and what methods you might need or want to engage in. Pre-contemplation is however still quite removed from actually starting to change your behaviour and rebuilding your life.
The first actual step to breaking free from an addiction is resolving to make a change, because you know deep inside that your obsessive relationship with the substance or behaviour is destructive and causes more problems than it resolves. But you need to gather resources to stop.
Here are the main stages in the process of changing:
1. Contemplation: Through which you decide that you have a problem.
2. Determination: You have a real desire to change.
3. Stopping: Physically bringing a halt to the behaviour.
4. Maintenance: Staying free of the addiction.
5. Mindful awareness: To help you when relapse seems the only viable option.
For all these stages of change, a number of mindful interventions are available to practise as soon as you need them:
Mindful scanning of your body (see Chapter 4)
Mindful walking (see Chapter 6)
Mindful breathing (see Chapter 4)
Mindful eating (see Chapter 6)
Mindfully carrying out any other everyday activity (see Chapters 4, 5, and 6 for ideas)
Mindfully coping with stressful situations and arguments (see Chapter 8)
The more mindfulness you can bring to the experience, the more you support yourself on the journey to recovery. Being mindful moment-to-moment may also help you foresee moments where you may be at risk of using your old friend (or enemy) again.
Entering the sea of change
As the preceding section implies, you need to get from the stage of pre-contemplation to contemplation, determination and action.
When you enter the arena of change it very much depends on your personality as to how you want to go about it. If your addiction is so severe that your life is in danger, please look for support when you start engaging in change. If, on the other hand, you have less dangerous addictions you want to free yourself from, then it may be best to start with the least difficult in order to get a sense of achievement and empowerment for continuing on to the next hurdle.
In order to feel strong and able to endure the process, the mountain meditation from Chapter 6 is a wonderful companion on your journey to change. Consider practising it daily and bring awareness to the fact that, although many changes take place around it (different seasons and types of weather), the mountain endures them all and remains strong.
Similarly, a lot of changes may occur in and around you while you’re trying to beat an addiction. Here are some common types of changes and problems and how you can deal with them:
Cravings: A habit you’ve engaged in for years doesn’t just go away overnight. Areas of your brain are waiting to be satisfied. Cravings are like strong memories and can be so overwhelming that hardly anyone on their own can resist giving in to them:
• Bring compassion to yourself: The addiction isn’t your fault; it’s been conditioning your brain over years or decades.
• Share what you’re experiencing with a compassionate person, if at all possible: Doing so can help you get through the worst.
• Reduce triggers: Cravings reduce over time, particularly if you do your best to reduce actions that stress you or contact with people and places connected to your addiction.
• Observe the pattern of your cravings with childlike curiosity: They rise and fall, like waves in the ocean. Visualise yourself surfing on the waves rather than being overwhelmed by them.
Dealing with stress and anxiety: You may be used to stilling fear with your addiction, to help get rid of the discomfort. In Chapter 8 you can read about accepting, allowing and letting be. Life is a combination of moments of pleasure, neutrality and pain. By accepting this fact, you significantly reduce the suffering you otherwise create by resisting this fact. What you resist, persists. If you can accept that pain is sometimes going to be present in your life, you suffer less when it visits you.
Use a practice such as the breathing space (Chapter 6) or sitting with the breath (Chapter 5) and notice this new way of reducing the discomfort of stress or fear.
Kindness: Be kind to yourself and accept kindness from others. Have a massage, take a hot bath, go for a nice walk or watch a cheerful film. Treat yourself!
Loneliness: You have to choose not to return to places and friends associated with your addiction. But watch for loneliness, which can trigger a relapse. Gently persuade yourself to meet new people, perhaps ones who share your journey or want to use mindfulness meditation in some way. Check out the next section for more.
Shame about the past: The past is gone, the future is unknown; the present moment is the time for living. Bringing awareness to this moment and being the best you can be now is the only way forward.
Meeting with others
Although your journey is in one sense always going to be personal and empowering, meeting with other people can be helpful. Cultivate new and non-dependent (that is, where neither of you feel the need to lean on the other; you just enjoy each other’s company) relationships. Of course, you need to be able to stand alone too, but meeting like-minded people can be like a breath of fresh air. Here are a few suggestions for you to consider:
Reconnecting with or starting a new hobby that gets you in touch with others, and maybe with nature and keeping healthy too: Walking, running, tennis and table tennis, gardening (having an allotment, perhaps), hiking, cycling, and so on.
Joining a group of people battling with addiction and supporting each other: Plenty of support groups are out there for people to stave off loneliness and help each other.
Participating in a regular meditation class: Alternatively, perhaps go on a retreat for a few days.
Cultivating breaks/lunch/tea with people you work with: Doing so helps you (and them) to reduce stress and feel connected.
Getting in touch with distant relatives or old school friends: Meet in a safe place that doesn’t remind you of your addiction, but instead helps to build new relationships or bridge forgotten ones.
Accepting who you really are
You’re not an addict; your addiction isn’t who you are. The circumstances led to the addiction that you have to deal with. You need to accept yourself and that you have weaknesses and faults: everyone does. Furthermore, accept that you’ve already taken steps to get over your addiction by buying this book, which shows that you have strength! Most importantly, accept that everyone with an addiction tries to delude themselves that they don’t have a problem. Honestly looking at what is and accepting the truth can be a great challenge. So show loving kindness to the fallible person you are and remember that you’re still worthy of love. Resolve to keep yourself stay safe and protected, to be peaceful and live at ease and with kindness! (For more on this practice, see Chapter 9.)
Writing down insights in your diary can be helpful. It’s for your eyes only and rereading the journey you’re on can be most inspiring. Your diary also helps you to notice those areas of your life that may be repetitive stumbling blocks. You aren’t looking for perfection, only a wholeness brought on by acceptance of who you are, warts and all. Awareness is the first step to that wholeness.
Kindly consider all the aspects that come together to make up you:
1. Use a large sheet of paper and write down a huge 3D letter ‘I’. Fill the page with it and make sure that the letter is big enough for you to write little letters or facts about yourself inside (see Figure 13-1).
Figure 13-1: Your big ‘I’ might look like this.
2. Choose your favourite colour and a colour you don’t like. In the big ‘I’, please write down in your favourite colour as many little ‘i’s as you can, each representing an aspect you like about yourself, including actions, abilities and positive outcomes you’ve experienced in your life. Also include little ‘i’s in the colour you don’t like, representing negative experiences, actions or areas of your character or behaviour that need improving. The big ‘I’ symbolically portrays all that you are at this moment.
3. Notice the mix of the two colours – evidence that you can’t define yourself by one single attribute. Somewhere is a little ‘i’ that represents your addiction; a little ‘i’ that says you can’t handle, say, alcohol. But that doesn’t make you an alcoholic overall. I hope that you can see that your addiction is only one aspect of the whole that makes up you. Having visual proof in this way can be a big help.
By all means, take days to complete this project and feel free to invite others who care for you to add their own insights too.
Believing in yourself
At the end of the day, how much faith other people do or don’t have in you doesn’t matter. Most important is ensuring that you see the hero in yourself, the person who can make the difficult journey successfully. Only you can decide whether or not you’re strong enough to make the tough decisions. Believe that you are, approach them all mindfully and you’ll see how successful you can be.
I call this exercise ‘the hero who lives in your heart’. Kindly repeat it as often as possible while you’re trying to break your addiction:
1. Go to your meditation room/corner and adopt a comfortable and dignified posture: For tips, flip to Chapter 4.
2. Close your eyes gently and start to use the breath as your anchor of awareness. Breathe in and out until you feel quite settled.
3. Imagine opening a door or a box (or any symbol you choose) and find information about all the good things you’ve been involved with, the times when you felt good about yourself and had moments of joy. Also remember triumphs in childhood and adult life. Don’t make them smaller than they were. Let them shine!
Sooner or later the mind throws in negative stuff too, as is its wont: mistakes, ugly scenes, actions you’re not proud of. Just look at them briefly, accepting their presence, and let them pass by like birds in the sky. No need to struggle – simply allow the mind to shine a light on whatever virtuous engagements come into your awareness, which is all that you need to see.
Letting go of addiction, mindfully
An addictive mindset that triggers unwholesome behaviour needs rewriting in order to get it to a point where it can truly open up to the possibility of a free and largely wholesome way of thinking and acting. In other words, you need to let go of negative thought patterns (as I discuss throughout this book but particularly in Chapter 9).
This exercise helps you to let go of self-doubt and thoughts of failing:
1. Start the practice in your special meditation corner. Sit with dignity and close your eyes.
2. Focus on grounding yourself. Then follow the simple action of breathing.
3. Open the mind’s gate of all doubts when you’re ready, including nasty self-deprecating thoughts, fears, and so on. Visualise them written on faulty goods on a conveyor belt, which leads all these trapped thoughts into a huge waste barrel that’s then disposed of.
Here are a few typical nasty thoughts that can be particularly persistent:
‘You’ve done so many bad things that you don’t deserve another chance.’
‘Come on, look at yourself; you’ll fail again just like all the other times.’
‘You’ll be so lonely without drink; your only true friends are waiting in the bar for you.’
‘You’ll never enjoy parties again – you boring party-pooper.’
‘What’s wrong with [add your addiction here] – what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’
Of course, you have your own version of these challenging thoughts, but just remember that they’re caused by fear of failure and loneliness. So with as much compassion as you can muster, drop them in that barrel and let them go once and for all.
These thoughts have had a long residence permit, so don’t be surprised if they’ve procreated and their offspring return! Just repeat the above exercise until you feel that they’ve given up.
Starting afresh, now
Even if you’re still wading through muddy waters, your intention to stop is the most important point to remember. Please don’t think that you have to completely get over the addiction before you can begin afresh; your new life starts the moment you decide firmly to make a change.
Remember that you need support on this adventure, so consider how you’re going to help yourself on this new journey. What other support can you give yourself? What gifts and benefits can you receive from giving up a destructive way of living? Here are a few ideas:
Find joy in the little things: A bird singing, a beautiful flower, a smile from a loved one – bring mindfulness to every moment.
Gratitude: Instead of remembering all your flaws and tragic past events, focus on the gifts you’ve received. Write down a list of your own and do it every day so you incline your mind towards all that’s positive and beneficial: the food you receive, the home you may have, and so on . . . the list can never be too long.
Mindfulness practice: Let meditation be your daily ritual for cleansing your mind and soul.
Staving Off Relapse
Even if you manage to give up your addiction for a significant time span, no guarantee exists that you’re safe from it forever. You have to find the means of continuing with the new healthier way of being when the going gets rough. A famous alcoholic writer is supposed to have said that stopping is the easiest thing on earth, but staying sober the hardest.
You can be particularly vulnerable if a big change or loss occurs in your life. Whether you’ve slipped already or are experiencing a strong urge to do so, please try the following:
Note down the situation, the emotions and any other important insights in your mindfulness diary.
Consider what went wrong, what you may not have been aware of and where more mindfulness may have been able to guide you through with less harm.
Allow whatever you become aware of to be your guide for the future.
Share your experience with other people, so that any lapses can bring increased awareness for you and others.
With time, mindfulness makes you more attuned to the ups and downs of living. As a result, more and more often, you will be able to see problems coming and turn away from falling back into the deep dark hole.
Mistakes and errors are part of the human experience and the meditator who has never failed and failed again is yet to be born! So, be kind and understanding with yourself, because compassion and forgiveness are brother and sister.
Losing Control: Understanding Alcohol Addiction
Addiction often feels like a loss of control over yourself, as you become dependent on a substance to cope with daily life. Alcohol addiction is one of the most common destructive habits in this regard, so in this section I look at this specific problem: the destructive facts of alcohol addiction, the signs that tell you how to recognise addiction and the difference between a bad habit and full-blown addiction. Remember, however, that you can adapt and use much of the information contained in this section to help with other addictions as well.
When you’re addicted to alcohol, you experience feelings of helplessness, fear and shame. Tell-tale signs for alcohol addiction are hiding alcohol in unusual places, such as behind clothes, under the PC, and so on. People who don’t know about addiction can assume that weakness is to blame, but research shows that certain humans are more likely to become addicted than others (see the nearby sidebar ‘Alcohol facts and figures’).
Considering the symptoms of alcohol addiction
If you have three or more of the following symptoms, you’ve already developed alcohol addiction:
A strong desire or urge to drink alcohol regularly
Reduced ability to be able to stop drinking after you’ve started
Physiological signs for withdrawal (shaking, lack of focus, stomach pain, vomiting), which you eliminate only by drinking more alcohol
A gradual expansion of your intake of alcohol in order to achieve a level of functionality in your everyday life
An increasing neglect of hobbies, interests or friendships that used to be important to you
Ongoing consumption of alcohol, even though you’re aware of the destructive nature of your habit
Alcohol which reaches your brain through the bloodstream is perceived by the brain as a toxic substance. The brain can only cope with a small amount or else it may experience damage. In order to avoid long-term damage the brain grows receptors that soak up any surplus alcohol. Each time you drink over the limit of your receptors, more grow to avoid damage. At first glance this is a good thing. The only problem is that once you start drinking, these receptors behave like little hungry birds and cause a huge amount of craving until they’re all satisfied. You may not realise when this level is reached and over-drink, which causes more receptors to grow. This so-called receptor trap is a vicious circle.
Discovering the dangers
If you see yourself reflected in the preceding section, you need to know that regular heavy drinking, as well as alcohol addiction, can lead to serious physiological damage, even if you never feel inebriated. Some alcohol-induced diseases are:
Bowel cancer and perforation of the bowel due to dehydration
Breast cancer
Cancer of the mouth and oesophagus
Circulatory problems leading to raised blood pressure
Dysfunction of the immune system
Fatty liver, cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer
Heart attack
Impotence
Korsakov syndrome (on-going severe short-term memory loss)
Memory loss (short-term)
Weight gain
Stroke
Furthermore, habitual drinkers are like tightrope walkers. Any major life crisis, such as the loss of a beloved person, of status, of their own health or difficulties with a significant other, can tip them over the edge. If you belong to this latter group, you can overstep your limit again and again until eventually you become addicted (at least in a psychological way).
The good news is that you can overcome addiction or heavy regular consumption and develop the ability to regain control mindfully. Each individual is unique so you need to find out which approach is best for you. Whether your goal is total abstinence or significantly reducing intake, the most important outcome for you is probably not to feel ashamed of yourself, to no longer endanger yourself and others, and to find joy and purpose again.
Challenging the misconceptions
Many a good friend may want to give advice, such as to simply drink less. To be honest, this advice is as useless as telling depressed or highly anxious people to pull themselves together. Instead, you need to have all the knowledge necessary to make an informed decision.
Keeping a drink diary is a good first step, because you tend to forget what and how much you consume on a daily basis. So, for a week or so, write down the following in your diary (note that, roughly, a unit is a small glass of wine, half a pint of beer or a single spirit):
How strong is your desire to drink, from 1 (low) to 10 (high)?
How long can you resist this urge (craving)?
Does it pass if you resist? If so, after how many minutes?
How many units do you drink on a regular basis?
When do you drink, and how long for (starting time and, if you can remember, the time you finish)?
How do you feel after drinking one unit?
How do you feel after three units, and can you stop now?
How do you feel upon waking up the next day?
This record helps you gauge whether you’re already addicted or merely drinking too much habitually.
Worryingly, research shows that most people have been battling with addiction for seven years before they seek help. How many good reasons do you have to stop or reduce your drinking now? Please write them down in your diary.
Here are some common examples of false or unhelpful ideas that can get in the way of overcoming your alcohol addiction:
I don’t really have a problem. Please read the preceding pages again and write down anything that applies to you.
I simply love the feeling of freedom and relaxation I feel after the first few sips. If so, note down how you feel after the first, second or third glass, after the last glass, and the next morning.
Also consider experimenting with other ways to relax, such as a regular body scan after work before you do anything else (see Chapter 4), mindful movement or going for a mindful walk (I describe both in Chapter 6).
Nobody suffers because I’m a little tipsy. Ask your partner, friends or colleagues for their honest answers. Please write them down.
I’m still in control and can stop anytime. Really? Have you tried? Take a few days off or reduce significantly and write down how you feel when you’re truly sober.
Everyone in my family drinks. It would look weird if I didn’t. Is this statement true? How many relatives have suffered from their regular consumption, and how? Kindly note the answer in your diary.
I have other thoughts of resistance. If you like movies, maybe watch Leaving Las Vegas with Nicolas Cage portraying a man who loses everything: job, home, wife and kids. He completes his journey of destruction in a cheap hotel room in Las Vegas.
Believing that the problem is out of your hands
Alcoholics Anonymous works miraculously for many people, and if it works for you, that’s fantastic. But that model isn’t always helpful for everyone. The MBCT approach for addiction offers you a different path, and is very concerned with this moment in your life, such as the fact that right here and now, you can decide not to drink, just for a few minutes.
Cognitive behavioural therapy avoids labelling individuals for their actions or illnesses (so no ‘alcoholics’), because labelling yourself with the disease can make you feel that it has become part of who you are forever, whereas in fact you’re only addicted to a certain drug or behaviour right now. Negative thoughts and patterns arrive but aren’t invited to become permanent residents, and you alone have the power to say to them ‘Time to move on!’.
Step one of your recovery is to believe that you can empower yourself to change your mind and actions at any moment, because every moment is a new beginning.
As an exercise, begin by performing the breathing space (Chapter 6) and then put your hand on your heart, silently repeating the comforting words that I suggest in the kindness meditation in Chapter 9. By doing so, you’re asking for, and so opening the possibility for, protection and safety (write down how the answer to this plea manifests itself in your mind). Furthermore, asking to remain peaceful implies that you’re no longer feeding negative assumptions, but trusting that peace is possible.
Living with ease and kindness starts at home, so do away with this tendency to degrade yourself and to think that you’ll never be good enough. All beings deserve to be at peace and ease and live with kindness. Maybe the greatest gift you have to give is that of your own self-transformation.
Going cold turkey
Putting too much pressure on yourself, by believing that you can just give it all up immediately, rarely works. Depending on the level and intensity of your alcohol addiction, you can trigger delirium tremens.
Delirium tremens (DT) is a medical emergency that can cause death: if you experience its symptoms call an ambulance immediately. DT can occur when you stop drinking alcohol after a period of heavy drinking, especially if you don’t eat enough food and avoid mindfully reducing unit by unit. It happens most often to people who drink more than a bottle of wine or more than eight pints of beer daily for a number of months, and can affect you if your regular habit has been going on for over ten years.
Symptoms of DT most often occur within 72 hours of your last alcohol consumption. However, they may occur up to a week after the last drink. Observe yourself patiently during the first week of alcohol reduction. Seek medical advice if some of the following symptoms occur. Here is a list of symptoms, which can start mildly and then get worse quickly:
Agitation, irritability
Body tremors and irregular heart beat and chest pain
Changes in mental function
Deep sleep that lasts for a day or longer
Disorientation
Fatigue
Feeling jumpy, nervous, shaky
Hallucination (seeing or feeling things that don’t exist)
Headache
Increased activity, restlessness, irritability or excitability
Insomnia (difficulty falling and staying asleep)
Loss of appetite
Nausea, vomiting and stomach pain
Pale skin
Quick mood changes
Seizures
Sensitivity to light, sound, touch
Sweating on the palms of the hands, the face or having a fever
In order to avoid DT, start your withdrawal with the help of a medical support person or in a withdrawal centre. If your drinking history isn’t as excessive as described or hasn’t been going on for such a long time, you can experiment with the help of your drink diary to reduce your alcohol intake gradually, and mindfully observe any unexpected symptoms.
Remembering Helpful Lessons
This section helps you create a prescription for when life is tough and danger looms round the corner (yes, it can seem like this every day).
Please consider going through this chapter and your diary and noting down the ten most important points you want to remember. Here’s an example, but please create your own and print out ten copies to pin up in the bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, office, toilet, sitting room, and so on. Believe me: mindful repetition really helps!
Rediscover the magic and purpose of your life.
Engage in mindful moments throughout the day.
Let go of shame and guilt and reclaim your hero.
Write and read your mindfulness diary every day.
Express gratitude for everyday living and moments of joy.
Learn from and share the awareness that grows from mistakes.
Establish a solid meditation practice.
Connect with other people, nature and your deepest self.
Work at living, loving and making your own decisions.
Live moment by moment, making a fresh start in every moment.
I find these topics interesting, but they aren’t definitive. Consider sitting down and meditating on your own ten points to remember.