Every addiction has its shame. It’s not just the same of being caught in an addiction, it’s the shame behind the addiction. Laura’s story may help you understand. Laura was addicted to alcohol and pot. She was embarrassed about her addiction and to emotionally protect herself she never admitted that she had a problem until it became so destructive that she had to do something or end up in rehab, the street, or dead. She chose therapy and specifically hypnosis to help her. As she got deeper into her therapy she realized that she had a great deal of shame from her childhood. Although it looked from the outside casual observer that Laura had a normal childhood in reality Laura experienced a lot of shame. The shame became hidden behind her addiction. She had been molested by her step father and emotionally abandoned by her mother. No one knew the extent of the pain Laura experienced except for Laura herself and Laura wasn’t even telling herself….until therapy. I therapy Laura was able to admit those things that happened that shamed her and was wiling to come out from behind the shame to see that she was an innocent child who deserved better. In time Laura was not only able to overcome her shame of addiction when she entered AA and began the twelve steps but she over came the shame of her childhood. Although Laura was well on her way to healthy living she opted for AA for the additional support and to be around others who had experienced the same kind of shame. This helped Laura heal further.
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