Ghalia T.

Mahran
August 02, 2021
Dr, P. Clarke & Mr. F. Thompson
CNS 765: Addiction Counseling

Assignment 6.3: Abstinence Contract and Mutual Help Group Private Blog.

I. Abstinence Contract Prompt Answers

The sorts of triggers I have are usually tied to my emotions. Whenever I am stressed with

schoolwork, practicum searching, my job search etc. I just moved recently from North Carolina

back to NY so that process has triggered some unnecessary shopping. Something that has made it

more difficult is that I must shop for things, for my new apartment, it’s difficult to stop myself

from going overboard. Ads on social media are also a major source of temptation for me,

especially because they are targeted ads for things I have already been thinking about,

researching, and talking about.

The most noticeable aspects of the struggle for remaining abstinent are temptation, and

emotions. I remember back in college when I used to smoke, I would also crave to smoke during

happy moments, not just stressful ones. I would think to myself “I could make this moment so

much better or amplify it in a way if I smoked right now.” I also find myself doing this with

shopping. For the most part shopping is used as a crutch, or a way to fill a void but sometimes it

also serves as an “amplifier.” I can imagine people who are addicted to hard drugs and alcohol

also feel this way because they are chasing that extreme high and trying to set the bar higher and

higher. It’s a very dangerous and unsustainable way of living life which can cause a lot of

turmoil and sadness. I think for me personally and also as a counselor, that was the most

meaningful takeaway because it shows the power an addiction has over every single aspect of

one’s life, even the happy moments.

 Now that the project is over, I plan to continue my journey because I honestly need to.

Realizing that letting external factors run my life is an unsustainable and out of control way of

living life, was a big wake up call for me. Also realizing that I don’t have as much self-control as

I once thought was also a much-needed reality check.

II. Mutual Help Group Prompt Answers

My thoughts and feelings going to this mutual help group were less nerve racking than

the last. I joined the same AA meeting I went to for my first mutual help group project so I

already knew many of the members. During the first meeting a lot of introductions happened and

explaining why people were there, I think more so because I was there and someone else who

just joined was also there. However, this time around seemed less structured and more about

what has been going on in everyone’s weeks, and we also talked a lot about temptation, as well

as religion.

The moment that stood out to me from this meeting was the emotional moment one new

member had. She talked about her alcohol addiction and how she is so embarrassed at herself

every day after a night of drinking, yet she continues to drink. She talked about how her sister

takes care of her children because she couldn’t “get it together.” This stood out to me because

many people judge situations like hers, specifically women. I think even I sometimes frown upon

parents who can’t seem to help themselves at least for the sake of their children. However, seeing

her pain up close and how she really feels as though she can’t change and is a lost cause really

made me feel for her because I think most of us have been there in our lives, whether it’s

addiction or some other frustration with oneself.

The takeaways I have about mutual help groups are that they are helpful for many people,

and more than that, mutual help groups singlehandedly help keep people sober for years and
even decades. Most of the members in the group I attended had never gone to counseling for

their addiction. Finally, I will apply the insights I have gained in my future work as a counselor

by reminding myself to stay empathetic and most importantly to stay humble. Addiction can

impact anyone’s life, no one is above it no matter how in control, resilient, or disciplined we

might think we are. The fact is that even if you personally aren’t addicted someone close to you

could be and the impact of that can be just as damaging if not more depending on the

circumstances, so it is important to stay grounded, open minded, and compassionate.