Alcohol is a depressant and dampens down the nervous system. Often, people unconsciously use and abuse alcohol as a medication to treat discomfort, anxiety, and fear. Check out this 2 ½ minute video with Charles Stacey discussing a cutting-edge treatment modality called Organic Intelligence and how it treats nervous system dysregulation and wipes out the urge and need to use.
Charles provides this kind of care to clients at our practice and you’ll find his contact information located on our website.
Video transcript:
With clients where alcohol or other drugs or behaviors are involved, it’s really just the tip of the iceberg and what we’re really dealing with is this freeze part of the nervous system and the underlying self-medicating that is going on. In treatment we’re not really focused on not drinking, we’re focused on building the capacity of the nervous system. If someone needs help to stop drinking (the bad habit/”behavior”) they need a more structured program and there are several in the area that do a good job of that. Where the drinking pops up from time to time and it’s the underlying part, the being “smart” but disengaged emotionally in relationship, where we can use Organic Intelligence to expand capacity and learn to orient so that there isn’t a need to use a substance. The person most helped by this approach has recognized that when they have stopped drinking, anxiety or depressed mood has increased and also that the drinking has stressed their relationships. When a partner in relationship has complained of you being disengaged, almost as if the “lights are on but there’s nobody home”, this approach allows you to develop the capacity to engage emotion as well as the intellect and the partner can say “you showed up, thank you for coming back”.