Alcohol Archives - Jeremy Mast, MS, MDiv, LMFT

Making the Most of “Dry January” (Especially If You Keep Drinking)

Posted on December 28, 2018

Perhaps you’ve seen articles and posts floating around on social media this time of year about Dry January. If you haven’t, Dry January is a one-month challenge to abstain from alcohol created by Alcohol Change in 2012. About 4 million people participated in 2018, and maybe you’re trying to decide if participating this year is right for you.

After all, January is a time of resolutions for the coming year. Many people use Dry January as a way to help them reevaluate their drinking, especially as drinking typically peaks during the last few weeks of the year around Christmas and New Year’s.

There are plenty of articles out there like this one to help you figure out if you want to participate in Dry January or not. If you do decide to keep drinking, here are some other ways to participate so that you can make the most of your Dry January.

If You’re Looking for Substance Abuse Treatment in Ventura County, Read This

Posted on December 22, 2018

in Addiction, Alcohol

by Jeremy Mast

substance abuse treatment ventura If you love someone who is struggling with a drug addiction or a substance use disorder, chances are you’re in crisis mode. Most likely, something has happened—again—that’s prompted you to seek out addiction counseling for your loved one or family member—again.

You’re scared for your loved one. Probably, you’re feeling anxious, overwhelmed, and lot a little resentful. “Why does this keep happening?” you say to yourself. “He needs to really work his program this time. He didn’t work hard enough last time.”

Meanwhile, you wonder if you’re codependent. At least, that’s what most of what you’ve read says. You struggle with the line between supportive love and destructive caretaking. So much of what you do seems to alienate your loved one. And he’s not getting any better. After all, this has happened before. Will this time be different?

The good news is that yes, this time can be different.

Create Your Optimal Use Plan

Posted on December 14, 2018

in Addiction, Alcohol, Healing

by Jeremy Mast

optimal use plan The New Year is right around the corner. Many make resolutions to change their relationship with alcohol or a substance, resolving to use it less or not at all.

Maybe you’re working on this already. If changing your pattern of using or drinking is important to you, perhaps it’s time to consider creating what’s called an optimal use plan.

An optimal use plan is a hypothetical plan or vision that you can create on your own, with the help of a loved one, or ideally a therapist. It’s a “working plan” that will help you name your goals for your drinking or using and includes strategies for how to achieve them.

So how do you create one? Let’s dive in.

Master Your Recovery Mindset

Posted on December 7, 2018

in Addiction, Alcohol, Porn Addiction, Sex Addiction

by Jeremy Mast

master your recovery mindset If you’re in trying to change your relationship with alcohol, a drug, sex, porn, or some other addictive behavior, you know it’s not a cakewalk. I want to walk you through an exercise today that will hopefully call attention to recurring thoughts that might be getting in the way of you reaching your goals.

I’m going to try something different here. I’m going to ask you to notice your first reactions to the statements that I’m going to give you. But in order for it to work, you have to promise to pause after you read each statement, taking note of what you’re thinking.

So don’t read on until you do that, okay? But first, a few words about why this is important. Let’s dive in.

Changing the Conversation with Your Addict

Posted on December 1, 2018

in Addiction, Alcohol, Porn Addiction, Sex Addiction

by Jeremy Mast

changing the conversation with your addict If you’re in recovery, and especially if you frequent 12-step meetings, it’s not uncommon to hear about the “addict” in each person who struggles with addictive behavior. Often, using this term in this way refers to that part of the individual that wants to use, act out, or wreak havoc in some other way that is harmful to others.

I completely understand, then, why when I hear folks use this term in this way, they’re trying to prevent that damage from happening. They don’t want to lie anymore. They don’t want to hurt their partner with the “addict’s” hurtful words. And they really don’t want to use or act out.

So why am I about changing the conversation with your addict?

How to Find an Addiction Counselor

Posted on November 7, 2018

in Addiction, Alcohol, Porn Addiction, Sex Addiction

by Jeremy Mast

addiction counselor Finding the right help for an addiction isn’t easy. These days, there are quite a few options. Do you choose inpatient or outpatient substance abuse treatment? Intensive outpatient? An online recovery program?

And what do you do if you know you also have concerns about your mental health at the same time? How should you decide what you should do if you need chemical dependency treatment and also need help with your depression, anxiety, or some other mental health issue?

Navigating all of this can be tricky, but there are a few considerations that might be helpful as you find an addiction counselor to begin your recovery.

Why Overcoming Addiction Isn’t About Getting Sober

Posted on November 1, 2018

in Addiction, Alcohol, Porn Addiction, Sex Addiction

by Jeremy Mast

When we talk about overcoming addiction, successful recovery is often determined by abstinence or sobriety. That is, you’ve only beaten your addiction to the extent that you haven’t used, drank, or acted out.

This idea is so common in our culture that in 12-step circles, we measure the strength of one’s recovery in terms of “clean time,” or that period of time that’s elapsed since your last acted, used, or drank. Hang around recovery treatment centers long enough and you’re bound to hear things like, “He’s got 12 years,” or “I just got my 90 days.”

But here’s the thing: Overcoming addiction has nothing to do with how long you haven’t engaged in your addiction.

So what’s the real story with beating addiction?

Silencing the Inner Critic: Alcohol, Drugs, Porn, and Problematic Sex

Posted on October 10, 2018

in Addiction, Alcohol, Porn Addiction, Sex Addiction

by Jeremy Mast

silencing your inner critic Chances are if you’re reading this blog post, you know exactly what an “inner critic” is. In fact, I’m willing to bet you’re intimately familiar with what that inner critic sounds like.

You also know all too well what if feels like to be on the receiving end of his or her withering, ruthless self-criticisms and attacks.

I certainly do. As I’ve gotten better over the years at listening to how I talk to myself, I’ve noticed that I am my own worst critic. It’s a cliche for a reason as being harder on oneself than anyone else is a very common experience.

Let’s look at this inner critic and what it has to do with problematic drug use or sexual behaviors.

I Asked Myself This Question When I Thought About Drinking

Posted on September 19, 2018

in Addiction, Alcohol, Porn Addiction, Sex Addiction

by Jeremy Mast

I asked myself this question when I thought about drinking I know it’s the weekend because that ‘s usually when I make my weekly trip to my local Trader Joe’s. Recently, I was thrilled to find pumpkin-flavored Kringles, which are a flaky, frosting-covered pastry that’s really close to the Dutch pastries I grew up with.

Ah, autumn. My 3 1/2-year-old son was pushing the cart and I threw one in amongst the peanut butter, pasta, bacon, vegetables, and other goodies.

Then I strolled over to the side of the store that had the wine, beer, beverages, and snacks. I added a few more items to the cart, double-checked my grocery list on my phone, and was ready to call it a day.

I walked over to the cashier with the shortest line and stood there, waiting. I sighed.

My eyes roamed for a moment as I allowed my mind to wander. That’s when I saw it.

5 Tips for Addiction Recovery from My Epic Dust-Up on Facebook This Week

Posted on September 14, 2018

in Addiction, Alcohol, Porn Addiction, Sex Addiction

by Jeremy Mast

I got into the most contentious argument online I've ever been involved with on Facebook this week. I was sharing with the Facebook world about Conscious Drinking, a group about changing your drinking habit no matter what forms that takes. That is, however you want to...