PLAY THE TAPE THROUGH

A great tool for your recovery tool box is about hitting the play button.

Don’t stop at the craving.From Serenity Vista International

Rehab Panama

When most people come into recovery, they are frozen solid in dramatic emotions like grief, self-pity, loathing, fear, hurt and victimization. They may not be able to articulate it, but this phrase sums it up:

"There are two things that I despise the most, change, and the way things are.“

FROZEN SOLID.

What happens for most people is that the love, acceptance and identification in the 12 step rooms starts to thaw them out. They can start to get soft and malleable enough to hear some new ideas and ways of thinking.

Then they are told, that they only have to change one thing, but that is

EVERYTHING!

Alcoholics and addicts of all kinds have one thing in common, that is short-sightedness, looking for instant gratification.

There is a joke in the 12 step rooms about how you can tell its social drinker when they say something like, "let's save some of this (alcohol or drugs or cake) for later".

The recovering alcoholics in the room just laugh at this strange thinking. In the mind of an active addict, there is no 'later'. It is just the unbearable NOW. And in recovery, this starts to shift, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly.

A great tool that every newcomer should have given to them for their tool kit of recovery is the phrase,

"Play the tape through to the end".

We are not talking here about replacing the negative tape for the positive tape but rather playing the tape through to the end, and finding out the end of the story.

For the non-alcoholic or addict, let me explain what this means. Almost all alcoholics have a memory of using, usually very early in their drinking career, of euphoria:

"Six foot tall and bulletproof", “Prettiest girl

in the room", "I can dance", "I am loved",

"I belong in the Universe", "I am not a mistake",

and so on.

It is that euphoric recall that keeps the addict picking up again and again, looking for that moment.

It is usually strongly connected to the sound of a beer opening, or the ice cube tinkle in the glass when the first, fresh drink is poured, the successful transaction with the dealer, or opening that fresh package of cigarettes and folding down the foil...

This is the moment that people new in recovery are playing with in their head - that split second between the anticipation, and the execution of the first puff, drink, or hit.

And split second it is, because that moment of euphoria is so fleeting, that it doesn't exist anymore other than in that split second of delusion in the mind of the addict. But this is where the newcomer will stop the tape.

Right in that split second, and play it over and over

and over, anticipation, satisfying the craving or

desire, over and over, and over...

The tool that newcomers are handed, "Play the tape through to the end", means don't hit the pause, rewind button, let it play through. What happens after that first glass of wine?

A second glass? Third, fourth, fifth, bottle after bottle? Drinking and driving, the look on the children's faces again when they realize you have relapsed? The dark alleys, crack houses and jail cells?

The hangover for work Monday morning, the shakes, sickness, shame and remorse and even worse, the realization that you are caught again in the active addiction, and can't stop. Play the tape through to the end.

We don't use this tool very often other than in this particular situation, because it is a

One Day At A Time program, and we try to stay out of the past as well as the future.

We try to stay in the moment. But playing the

tape through is one of the most powerful tools to the newcomer who

may get stuck in euphoric recall.

Jane Derry is an addictions expert and spiritual counselor at a drug rehab in Panama.It is her intention to model and inspire hope and encouragement to people, especially to those suffering from the disease of addiction.

Jane and her husband John Derry are the directors of Serenity Vista Addiction Recovery Retreat, nestled in the mountain highlands of Boquete, Panama. http://serenityvista.com.

Serenity Vista is a unique recovery retreat where up to 8 guests come to heal in a family-like setting with professional counselors and facilitators in a holistic and comprehensive program. It is affordable at a fraction of US prices, effective and discreet.

Visit our website at http://serenityvista.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jane_Derry

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John Derry is a master counsellor in addiction. He trained in the world renowned Hazelden Graduate Studies in addictions. John Derry had his original career in Pharmacy, working for major Pharmaceutical Companies and Teaching Hospitals in Canada.

No matter where in John Derry’s career he is, John dedicates 100% of his efforts into doing the best job that he can. Drug rehab is no different. When graduating from Hazelden, John Derry graduated first in his class, and was the valedictorian. He brings a passion and a deep well of wisdom to helping others recover.

Read more about John Derry on one of his many social media sites. Find out why is an expert in his field.

http://www.slideshare.net/SerenityVista/john-derry https://www.linkedin.com/in/jederryhttps://twitter.com/JohnDerryhttps://www.youtube.com/user/serenityvistahttps://www.facebook.com/serenityvistahttp://interventiontreatmentrecovery.org/world-class-treatment-centers-outside-of-the-united-states/https://www.serenityvista.com/about/staff/