Gray area drinking is hard to define and diagnose. We have been working with only two possible narratives around people who consume alcohol: either you are an alcoholic, or you are not an alcoholic. There has not been a third, fourth, or fifth narrative for those drinking alcohol. That's where gray area drinking comes in! Gray area drinking includes those people who do not feel like they are alcoholics but do drink more often and in larger quantities than they want or feel healthy and balanced. They enjoy a glass of wine or bottle of beer after work but end up drinking much more and falling asleep on the couch. Some gray drinkers determine it is best for them only to drink alcohol one or two times per week but end up drinking five or six nights. They have not paid the same degree of consequences in their life that alcoholics have and are acutely aware that this is not the best they can be doing for themselves and the people that matter most. Gray area drinkers want more from life and do not think going to rehab or A.A. makes sense.
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12 results for tag: Trauma Response
This Sculpture Shows The Inner Child In Us – Love
We all have a little boy or little girl inside us, or both. Many people refer to this part of ourselves as the Inner Child.
The term Inner Child gets used a lot these days, but what is the Inner Child? I like the description below.
"The inner child lives in all of us; it is who we were before life happened to us. When the negative experiences of life happen in childhood, our inner child becomes fragmented. We disconnect from that vital aspect of ourselves and shove that part of our psyche down into the dark.
As we grow up, the inner child is still very much alive, often dictating our responses to life. Those traumas that you experi...
18 Invaluable Pieces of Advice From Therapists & Counselors
There are not many common pieces of advice from therapists and counselors since we have diverse training, backgrounds, and experiences, but this list seems accurate. The themes around boundaries/saying "no," protecting yourself, and letting go of relationships that are not supporting your growth and peace are essential and agreed upon generally across the field. Of course, your specific situation and circumstances are important to consider as well.
My favorite piece of advice from therapists and counselors is first on their list: "Feelings are not facts." I wish we could all integrate this nugget of wisdom into our lives!
... What Is Gray Area Drinking and What Can I do About it?
When Trauma Blocking Gets in the Way
10 COVID-19 Emotions You’re Not the Only One Having
This is an incredibly helpful and informative article on coping with COVID-19 emotions. The suggestions for identifying what we are experiencing and knowing we are not the only ones going through this challenging period in human history are supportive and inclusive. This is the first time in human history that such a global pandemic has occurred since the internet, news media and social media have been as entrenched in our lives as they are now.
We are experiencing an extremely high level of COVID-19 emotions that we're not present during other global pandemics. The reasons are two very critical situations - we did not know the specifics of what was happening throughout the world as we do now. There is such a high degree of misinformation that creates fear, confusion, and distrust that did not exist previously. Anybody can post a blog on COVID-19 without any medical or pandemic knowledge or training and find an audience of people who will believe them, make decisions based on the misinformation, and spread false recommendations that others will share with others. This is harmful to our collective well-being on so many levels!
Please be gentle with yourself. You are NOT supposed to be OK. We are all experiencing a wide range of COVID-19 emotions that are loud and, at times, overwhelming. Please be gentle with yourself and ask for help if needed.
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