Your greatest strengths and your shadows can be different sides of the same coin. During today’s conversation, we go beyond the surface to discuss Sarah’s relationship with boundaries, coping mechanisms, making amends, and navigating alcohol use with a partner. Join us as we explore taking responsibility for your role in your own suffering; even if it is as simple as having expectations that someone is unable to meet. We also dive into what addiction thinking looks like and why it is important to distinguish between its voice and your own. Sarah shares how recognizing her own unmet needs has been helpful to her and we acknowledge the many layers often associated with denial that those who don’t struggle with addiction will never fully be able to relate to. Join us as we go deep today.
Key Points From This Episode:
- The role of humor in helping us heal and not feel so alone.
- The mental gymnastics necessary to support forming an addiction.
- How your greatest strengths and your shadow can be different sides of the same coin.
- The important step of acknowledging that alcohol use is not serving us.
- Why you can’t help anyone by taking on their pain.
- Addiction thinking and why it is harmful.
- One minute thoughts, and the distinction between getting sober for yourself vs others.
- Distinguishing between the voice of addiction and your own inner voice.
- Why Sarah can’t be around active alcoholics.
- Boundaries she had to learn to create to keep herself safe in the vulnerable process of recovery.
- The baselines Sarah has to have in order to maintain her sobriety and health.
- Why it is so important to have a partner who understands addiction.
- Coping mechanisms for unmet needs.
- What she replaced drinking with in order to meet her needs.
- The important step of identifying the part you play in the pain points of your life.
- How, sometimes, your role is as simple as having expectations that someone is unable to meet.
- Why identifying unmet needs and setting boundaries is so important for recovery.
- The many layers of addressing denial and owning your part without victim blaming.
- How if you’re looking for an excuse you will always find it.
- Alcohol’s role in society, celebration, and struggle.
- How being in recovery enables you to be part of the solution instead of the problem.
- Why it is important for a person without an addiction to admit that you will never truly understand.
- The amends that need to be made both ways between addicts and their loved ones.
- Emily’s revelation about archetypes and the reality you choose.
- Sarah’s surprise when her father called her a responsible member of the family.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Inner Archeology Email
Sarah Turner on Instagram
Emily Pennystone on Instagram
