0:00
That's one of the things that I struggle
0:01
most as a trauma specialist is, you
0:04
know, we are uncoupling negative beliefs
0:06
that get maladaptively encoded like I am
0:08
bad, I am this, I am an alcoholic, I am
0:12
and it doesn't leave room for the
0:14
learning. I struggle with said behavior
0:17
is so much healthier and that's one of
0:19
the issues that I struggle with related
0:21
to just the Alanon programs in general
0:23
and don't get me wrong, they are so good
0:26
for so many things and for so many
0:28
people and especially those without
0:31
resources who can get into therapy to
0:33
work on the trauma and all of those
0:35
other things, it is definitely better
0:37
and on honestly the consequences
0:40
even of white-knuckling abstinence
0:43
tend to be better for families and
0:44
people's lives than continued said, you
0:48
know, destructive overuse or abuse where
0:50
jobs are lost and relationships are lost
0:52
and all of those things. So, please make
0:54
no mistake that I'm I'm not saying these
0:56
things are bad, but we're just trying to
0:58
make sure you understand an additional
1:00
perspective. So, say more about that.
1:02
>> Yeah, I'll comment a couple of things. I
1:04
think there there is the, you know, the
1:08
of, you know, any any type of chemical
1:12
>> and how that shows up biologically and
1:14
chemically in your body versus the
1:16
labeling of behavior.
1:19
>> Um we see that even with clinical
1:20
diagnosis, right? How many times have
1:22
you had a new client come in and they
1:24
say, "Oh, I'm bipolar." And, you know,
1:26
it's not, "Okay, let me build from
1:27
there." It's like, "You know, help me
1:29
understand you know, why is it that you
1:31
identify as someone that meets the
1:33
criteria of bipolar?"
1:35
>> And often times, especially like bipolar
1:37
2, it's like trauma, trauma, trauma,
1:39
>> even agree with that.
1:40
>> we don't even need to do that, right?
1:41
So, it's like what's the value of a
1:43
label or a diagnosis? So, when I think
1:46
when it comes to drug addiction,
1:48
alcohol abuse, things like that, or
1:50
even, you know, non-chemically addictive
1:52
behaviors, sex addiction. I did my
1:54
internship at a place where, you know,
1:56
they were very they were all C-sats and
1:57
everybody was focused on, you know,
2:00
uh sex addiction. And I just I've always
2:03
struggled primarily because of my own
2:05
history of this label. And I remember
2:10
you know, I was in 12-step not as a an
2:13
Alateen Alatot type, but as
2:15
[clears throat] the identified
2:17
uh alcoholic drug abuser.
2:20
>> You know, that the 12-step book is like,
2:26
>> You were born defective. You have a
2:29
>> It's in your brain and there's no
2:31
>> And it's in your spirit and your soul.
2:33
And all you can do is try to walk a
2:36
>> Like I am someone with, you know, a
2:39
>> Yeah, and while I respect
2:41
the 12-step community and I'm glad that
2:43
there's a a community where people that
2:46
with it with it whether it's,
2:48
you know, actual addictions or
2:50
behavioral propensities or they just
2:53
don't have a social system that
2:56
understands what they've been through or
2:58
how to heal or how to get resources,
3:01
the identification that we are
3:04
inherently defective just does not
3:06
resonate with me at all.
3:09
>> And so, you know, even going back into
3:11
my own history and sitting there and
3:12
saying, you know, in order to be
3:13
accepted in this community, I had to
3:15
stand up and say, "Hi, my name is
3:16
Patrick. I'm a drug addict." And
3:19
it took me a long time to to drop those
