S.O.S. Alcohol Addiction Meditation

This meditation is designed to assist in moments of struggle or craving when dealing with alcohol addiction. It is not a substitute for treatment but is a tool to help shift from a desire to escape through a substance, to a willingness to be present to the soundness of mind and resilience in adversity - with the help of a higher power. Contributions by Kevin Scott Day. | Trigger Warning: This practice includes topics about addictive behavior. This is not a substitute for professional help.

Transcript

This meditation is designed to assist you in moments of struggle when dealing with addiction issues and cravings.

I have been in recovery from alcoholism for several years now.

In my journey of recovery and my resulting sobriety,

I too have had moments where I wondered if I could endure the challenges of life without a substance.

If you're struggling at this moment,

I would like to remind you that you're not alone.

In my experience,

One of the best places to start when we find ourselves in the midst of a challenging time is with honesty.

Let's get very honest right now.

If you play it out in your mind,

What happens after you take the first drink?

Do you have control over your drinking?

Does it make you unhappy?

Does the evidence of your life demonstrate that this is not an activity you can participate in safely?

If your answers to these questions reveal to you that you have a problem with alcohol,

Welcome.

Please put on hold any shame and judgment for yourself that you might be feeling.

There are many people who have committed to recovery and found a way out of the addiction cycle,

Stepping more fully into the potential freedom and flourishing that our lives can hold.

This is a possibility for you as well.

You may find that you have obsessive and intrusive thoughts about taking a drink or engaging in alcoholic behavior and that is perfectly normal when you have an addiction of the body and mind.

For the duration of this meditation,

However,

Let us be as present as possible to the possibility that the solution to your compulsion to drink and its accompanying feelings just might be within you.

Instead of attempting to manufacture it from an external substance,

You have a whole pharmacy of natural chemicals in your body to help you cope with life naturally and in a healthy way.

Additionally,

According to your own beliefs about the divine,

You also have a higher power connection within to assist.

Let's take a moment to simply be here now and breathe.

It may feel uncomfortable to sit with your feelings,

But let's consider the possibility that walking an uncomfortable path of being present to what's coming forward right now can lead us to a more level road.

Let's take a few deep breaths together.

Let's shift now,

Breathing into the awareness of your higher power or self,

Drawing in that support,

Really feeling and knowing that in this moment,

Regardless of the circumstances,

You are supported and loved.

You may feel some resistance or unworthiness here.

You may even feel that your higher power wants nothing to do with you.

Acknowledge these thoughts as part of the addiction narrative within the mind and release it.

You are supported and loved.

Turning the mind's eye back to the divine,

Breathing into this space,

Allowing the guidance and support to become expansive within and around you.

You are seen just as you are in this moment and lovingly held by the divine.

Fully present here and now,

What additional support is your higher power offering you?

Are you open to this support?

Observe any resistance that arises.

Is there something that this resistance can teach us?

Sometimes the challenge can be an unwillingness to be present to what's going on in the world around us or we desire to escape the emotions that we are feeling.

Let's be present to whatever is coming forward now.

Breathing and softening in the body.

It's okay to be exactly where you are.

Shift into surrender.

You are not alone.

In this space,

Is there anything that you are willing to release control over to your higher power?

You have the authority to release anything you want here.

What will it be?

As you release control and the weight is lifted and you move into surrender,

Let's open the heart.

Addiction can be one of the most demoralizing and hopeless places to be,

But you are supported and moving into a new way of being here.

Breathe into the blossoming of your heart.

Are you willing to open your mind to what the possibility of freedom feels like?

Are you willing to visualize and feel what it's like to move through your days with peace in your heart,

No longer compelled by the thought of the next drink?

Can you catch even just a glimpse of it?

Freedom is available to you.

Long-lasting self sovereignty where you can be fully present to the healing of old wounds,

Allowing you to design a life of beauty,

Serenity,

And joy on purpose.

What does it look like to wake tomorrow in the morning with clarity of mind and feeling healthy in your body?

Are you grateful and proud of yourself for going through whatever it is that you needed to go through with soundness of mind?

What does it feel like to face a new day knowing that you acted with great love and respect for your body,

Mind,

And soul?

Hold that resonance for a moment here.

Allow this sensation to pulse and grow,

Really leaning into the place where hope resides.

This hope and gratitude for sobriety is medicine for your soul.

It has the potential to be a consistency that sustains you.

With a shift in perception of what we deem to be the solution to our problems,

We can turn towards freedom,

Towards a new way of being.

Drawing in the assistance of your higher power,

Let's anchor in to this feeling,

Affirming our commitment to it even if it's just for today.

Despite what is going on in your world,

You have choice here.

You have the choice to move into wholeness day by day with your commitment to your recovery.

Knowing that whatever you're facing in this moment,

This too shall pass.

Pulling that thread to the divine is necessary.

Surrendering as often as needed to a higher power and in doing so,

Being fully present to miracles.

One of the most valuable lessons that I have learned in sobriety is that on the other side of what we are attempting to escape from,

We find freedom.

It seems counterintuitive when we are in our cups,

But for an alcoholic,

Clarity,

Presence,

And soundness of mind are some of the greatest allies in whatever situations we face.

It's in bearing witness to our strength and willingness to be present that we are able to confront reality head-on,

Realize our resilience and adversity,

And find healing for our wounds that is long-lasting,

Meaningful,

And create,

Like my sponsor says,

A life worth living.

Please take as much time as you need to rest here and simply be at peace.

A bell will sound in two minutes when the track is complete.

Return as often as needed.

Reviews

Awesome! I really appreciate how you frame the bridge to sobriety in terms of the self appreciation possible with clarity, presence and soundness of mind. I listened to it a couple of times over!

Soothing. Thank you.

Thank you. There is hope ❤️🦋

Needed this today. Thank you for the gentle reminders of why I’ve chosen to let go of alcohol’s grip on my life.

Thank you. Very very helpful as always. -Sib. Miss you.

I needed this today. Thank you. Namaste

Very nice 😊 adding to my playlist 🙏🏻

Thank you, thank you, thank you. What a precious gift. It helped me so much 🙏 I'll come back, when ever it's needed. May you be happy and healthy and well. Blessings to you🙏

Thank you.

Wonderful centred reflections on meaningfulness mindfulness and the power of our own journeys

Gracias 🙏🏼

Thank you so much for your honesty, at the moment we started sugar free eating ( not so easy in the beginning and for sure an addiction too)
I love your voice and beautiful meditation
Waves of love and light ✨️

Thank you so much for producing this!!

Thank you for this meditation, I believe I will be returning to it
frequently. Congratulations on your sobriety. By the grace of God I have 15 months. So grateful I found Insight Timer. It has played a big role in my recovery. Thank you for being a part of that.

The perfect way to start and end each magical and blessed day! Surrender to serenity 💓
Anastasia

Thank you so much Kristen ❤️

Kristen, thank you 🙏🏽 soooo much from the bottom of my heart. I saw that it notified me in the app that you had a new meditation posted, I clicked it and I read the title. Almost cried. Definitely what I needed tonight especially . Thank you for your sincere truth in this meditation 🙌🏼🥰🤘🏼👌🏽🙏🏽