Mansi Poddar- Trauma Informed Psychotherapist Working Globally

psychotherapist in India by Mansi Poddar

Few things I’ve worked on in my sober journey that makes it easier to get back if you land up in a binge:-

-Recognising alcohol is a poison and disconnects you from your body wisdom

-Self respect is essential to getting away from alcohol and it’s culture

-Initially it’s lonely and mundane because without alcohol you realise many of the people/places that fuelled drinking are not engaging anymore

-You find other ways to manage boredom/social gaps

-It’s not easy to be sober in a culture that makes alcohol into art/ fun/ relaxation

-Unlearning that is radical self love and commitment

-Finding small ways to win and feel competent can be very supportive

-Finding a therapist who understands recovery irrespective of whether one is addicted

Why did I choose to become sober?

Sobering up keeps me centered. Yes I miss the person who appears after a few drinks- fun crazy social. Sober me is tentative, withdrawn, solitary and quiet.

Drunk me? Wild. Gives you a night to remember.

Leaving alcohol comes with grief. For the loss of these parts and the “fun” we had while drunk. I work on allowing the grief, it is many layered and ancient. I feel the grief of being abused, the grief of losing who I could have been, the grief of losing loved ones. I wish for another evening with my amma. Eating kadhi and watching kahani ghar ghar me. I grieve for all of me and my losses.

Maybe it was the grief that made me want a drink. what would arise for you if you sobered up for a bit?

Disclaimer- the narrations are not based on a particular persons life. They are the descriptions of how trauma and healing manifest in first person voice.

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