The Benefits of Therapy
Therapy for recovery from an addiction or chronic exposure to secondhand drinking – what might be the benefits?
I read this post by Suzanne Harrington, “Do You Need Your Head Examined?,” appearing on the October 23, 2011 Independent.ie, Lifestyle page. Having spent three years in intensive therapy with an addictions specialist myself, I found her post a tremendous source of the many excellent reasons a person might find therapy helpful. As Suzanne Harrington says, “We go to great lengths to look after our physical selves — exercise, yoga, Pilates, massage, personal trainers, good nutrition — but tend to ignore our mental health until it goes wrong.” I thought I’d share a few of the highlights — her entire post is well-worth the read:
“I love being able to say what I really feel without any concern about its impact on the other person; we are not friends, yet I can feel assured of non-judgmentalism, confidentiality and what Jung called unconditional positive regard.” [Harrington’s post]
“Substitute the word ‘therapy’ for ‘the gym’ and ‘therapist’ for ‘trainer’, and you have what many people do to take care of themselves.” [Harrington’s post]
“‘In his book ‘Happiness’, scientist-turned-Buddhist-monk Matthieu Ricard points out quite reasonably that we spend years at school and university training our brains, we expend a lot of energy enhancing our outer lives — comfort, wealth, status — ‘yet we do so little to improve the inner condition that determines the very quality of our lives.'” [Harrington’s post]
“For me, it is not crisis management (this is where the friends come in, the 4am friends on whom you can depend with your life), but about an ongoing uncovering of the layers and patterns of feelings and behaviours that have built up over decades like layers and layers of old paint sealing yourself tight shut.” [Harrington]
“To look after my addiction stuff, I go to 12-step meetings. To look after my depression, I take pills prescribed by a shrink — unlike Ruby Wax, I have never been hospitalised for it. (Well, I have, briefly, more of which later). And to look after my emotional well-being, I do three things: spend time outdoors in nature, practise mindfulness and see a therapist.” [Harrington’s post]
I’m not advocating therapy as the only way, nor something that works for everyone, but it can be especially helpful for people who have grappled with their own or with a loved one’s untreated, unhealthily discussed substance abuse or addiction. It is important for this group of people, however, to find a therapist who is an addictions specialist. Here’s the link to Suzanne Harrington’s full post, “Do You Need Your Head Examined?”
Lisa Frederiksen
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Hi Lisa,
Thanks for sharing all this important information. If parents could just internalize this one thought, “from ages 12 – 25 make a person’s brain especially vulnerable to developing a problem with alcohol abuse, even alcoholism,” maybe this knowledge would prevent more kids from going down the road to substance abuse. You are an amazing resource. Thanks!
Thanks so much, Cathy. I really appreciate your comments and support!!