EP09 Coaching Call With Ashia: Is my drinking a habit or an addiction?

Empowered Sobriety, todays episode is a coaching call with Ashia, our very first guest! Abby & Lindsay coach Ashia through a session where Ashia is looking for clarity about her drinking being a habit or an addiction. Abby introduces Ashia, who is a former client of hers! Lindsay begins by asking Ashia what her relationship to alcohol is today or “what does your drinking look like?” Ashia explains what resonates most with her and shares that her vocabulary has been about going into "auto-pilot" and someone close to her pointed out her auto-pilot could be disassociation. Ashia then shares her trauma from childhood that involved alcohol and how that shows up for her in her adult life. Especially in social settings. Ashia is aware of the disassociation and when she comes back from it. Lindsay asks Ashia if she has done any somatic therapy or somatic healing around that trauma. Ashia explains she has done some work around it but understands she can do more and acknowledges she still suppresses it. Abby and Lindsay acknowledge Ashia & where she is in her journey and experience. At this point Ashia looks for clarity about her drinking being a habit or an addiction and expresses her confusion. Abby clarifies and reflects what she has gathered from Ashias shares. Abby asks Ashia to use her intuition and asks Ashia what she feels her relationship to alcohol is? An addition or a habit? Ashia shared she believes her relationship with alcohol to be habitual. Ashia shares and explains she understands the difference between habit and addiction. She sees her relationship to alcohol to be healthy, but once the disassociation happens, there lies the problem. Because the disassociation doesn’t happen all of the time. She is not ever anticipating it. Lindsay has follow up questions about Ashias awareness around the sensations leading up to when she goes out drinking or has a get together to attend. Ashia explains she is in tune with her body, and the disassociation doesn’t happen every time so it’s not something she thinks about. Abby explains she doesn’t think the question is habit or addiction, it’s HOW are you using alcohol? She continues to expand on it being a triggering coping mechanism. Ashia talks about her friend and their conversations around her drinking. Ashia explains she’s just looking for clarification to understand how to move forward. Lindsay shares and explains to Ashia it is only Ashia that can deem her relationship to alcohol a habit or an addiction. It is not up to Abby or Lindsay to label it for her. We are here to support and provide clarity but not give her the label. Abby offers up that the disassociation can be a sign post. Lindsay speaks to the subconscious mind and creating an opening, an invitation, a divine intervention to go deeper into the somatic body and healing the childhood trauma. Abby acknowledges Ashias friends for supporting her and reflecting back to her. Abby & Lindsay address traumas loops, too much, too soon, too fast. Abby clarifies different modalities they used in their sessions and suggests alternatives. Lindsay speaks to building a tool box to help support Ashia through her journey. Lindsay asks Ashia to check in with her paradigms. Follow us on Instagram @empoweredsobrietypodcast and email us at empoweredsobrietypodcast@gmail.com for comments or questions. We would love it if you could take the time to leave us a rating and review!! If you’d like to be coached by us or to be a guest, please email us!