No Longer Numbing with Alcohol? Why Sketchbooking is a Radical Tool for Recovery

It’s scary to be alone with your thoughts when you’re newly sober.

Things were easier when you had that bottle of wine safely tucked into the refrigerator. All you had to do was open it. Have a few sips. And your problems melted away. Or at least you could pretend they did.

Now there is nothing to help you…

buffer those thoughts.

dull those thoughts.

numb those thoughts.

slow down those thoughts.

What are you supposed to do now?

Some pretty common advice out there is that you just have to learn how to sit with those thoughts. Try meditation. Take things one day at a time. Trust the process.

All decent advice.

Except if you’ve spent the last few decades turning towards your bottle of wine when things start to feel uncomfortable, I know the thought of sitting with those feelings scares the crap out of you.

Those first few days, and weeks without your trusty bottle of wine are going to feel a little raw and weepy.

You’re moving away from numbing all the feels, and stepping into sitting with and processing what you’re experiencing, as you’re experiencing it. Which requires a whole new game plan.

HERE’S WHERE THE SKETCHBOOK BECOMES YOUR SECRET WEAPON

How, you ask?

Because, it’s going to become your new habit.

On that very first day, as it nears 5 o’clock, and you’re starting to feel a little twitchy because your mind is letting you know that it’s almost time for your first glass of wine; you’re going to reach for your sketchbook instead.

You’re going to open to a blank page. Squirt some paint on the page. Start spreading it around with your painting tool.

And, you’re going to rinse and repeat until the moment passes, and you’ve move through the false story that you need that glass of wine. However, many pages that may take.

Maybe some words start to come up. So, you turn to another page and write them down. Short, sharp bursts of words start to get mixed in with the paint.

You leave everything on that page. The things that are running through your mind. The things you no longer need to carry around.

You close your sketchbook. Tuck it away so no one else can see it. The work is just for you. And you congratulate yourself for making it through another day.

And, as you continue to build this practice, this habit, you start to take the first steps towards processing all the feelings that are surfacing

It becomes the place where you learn to heal and start creating a life you’re connected to.

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL

Your sketchbooking practice will also:

·        Help you gain a new perspective on stressful situations.

·        Become a tool to help manage stress & anxiety.

·        Magnify your self-awareness

·        Allow you to bring your thoughts to the present moment.

·        Provide space for you to manage all the emotions – negative & positive.

·        Let you get back in touch with imagination and creativity.

·        Allow you to heal with patience & grace with the experiences you’re having.

Sitting with your thoughts, and letting them bounce around your head can feel overwhelming. The sketchbook will become your trusted partner on your sobriety journey.

If you’re ready to explore your relationship with alcohol, reach out and book a STRONGER SOBER session.