The Ancient Art of Story Telling to Heal Drug Addiction
Patients in treatment for addiction (or any illness for that matter) sometime have difficulty grasping concepts. Since 1976 I have watched the language of addiction treatment go through various changes and seen patients become confused because they learn to “speak recovery” only to read somewhere that a different idea or way of thinking is being fostered. That is as it should be. Research and greater understanding of addiction have placed us in an exciting time. Many patients are more intelligent about their illness before they ever get to treatment. Families have already read the plethora of family illness books. Knowledge is important to the journey of recovery. Spouses of sex addicts (or whatever term you use!) ,alcoholics and drug addicts come to treatment with some basic concepts under their intellectual belt. Addicts have already researched their particular brand of behavior on the internet.
Then they hit the spiritual wall! The gut quickens and knowledge cannot answer the deeper questions.
“What is this God stuff?” one exclaims in disbelief. “ Do you mean we have to go to church?” “I’m outta here!” When we read the recovery literature we discover that its all spiritual. Changing one’s personal behavior patterns is about connecting with the Self at higher levels of awareness. Being able to admit when one is wrong and letting go of what blocks progress is a spiritual endeavor.
How an addict gets along with peers and family becomes a spiritual issue because connection is the stuff of spirituality.
“I believe, help my unbelief “ is the soulful cry of people who have a deep desire to connect with a power greater then themselves while being terrified of themselves.
Those of us who work in the field , as we like to say, have some overlooked tools in this endeavor that have worked well for thousands of years. Picture if you will your own ancient ancestors sitting in a circle around a fire. A few in the group can make up some pretty big words and maybe even think abstractly. Most need a way of knowing that allows them to relate graphically to the content of an idea. Try explaining fire to a 2 year old and you will see what this is about. In fact try using abstract language to explain anything to a 2 year old or most 40 year olds for that matter. One of the best tools available is the ancient art of story telling.
Have you ever been in a 12 Step meeting after a bewildering experience and someone tells a story and your clarity arrives through their experience! In these days of information overload we have almost lost some of the better qualities of story telling. Almost, because this way of communicating is going through another revival. One force behind the revival is the 12 Step movement . Its very essence is found in the stories shared in “the rooms”. Now if we can listen to a peer in recovery share their experience strength and hope doesn’t it make sense that we share the same thing in our therapeutic work with patients?
Through inspiration a while back I developed a story to help families understand spirituality, addiction and recovery. Its built around a character named Big Momma .She is suffering from childhood trauma and has become “a co-dependent from hell”. In the midst of that story there is a situation in which Big Momma says to her son,” don’t you worry about a thing son”. When the audience is asked, ”when your momma says’ don’t you worry about a thing’ what must you do”? The audience ( mommas and all) go up in a chorus,“ you’d better worry”. People can relate to common experiences through a story.
Story telling puts feet on what many folks already know. Rabbi Abraham Twerski in From Pulpit to Couch shares the following story. In the horse and buggy days, a traveler alighted from the train and hired a taxi (horse drawn). He gave the driver his destination and said, “Be sure to avoid that one road. There’s a deep ditch there”.
The driver said, "Look, mister I’ve been driving these roads for 35 years. Just sit back and relax."
A short time later , the passenger said, "You’re traveling toward that road! Keep away from it. There’s a big ditch there." The driver responded,” Didn’t I tell you that I’ve been driving these roads for 35 years.? Don’t worry.”
As they turned down the road, the passenger said, "Turn back! You’re heading for the ditch." The driver said, “I’ve told you twice, I’ve been driving these roads for 35 years.”
Sure enough , they fell into the ditch horse and wagon on top of them. As the driver emerged from beneath the wagon, he said, “ Funny thing! I’ve been driving these roads for 35 years, and whenever I come by here, this is what happens!”
2. Now, let that story trigger your own creative way to illustrate how close-mindedness keeps one from recovery and spiritual growth .
Many years ago I promised myself that I would never preach a sermon, give a lecture or even make a suggestion to a patient that I did not need to hear myself.. It has served me well. Now if something is confusing to me and a story helps you better believe I go with the story. Look at what confuses you and search for a story to illustrate your thinking and feelings.
Enjoy your own story. It’s worth retelling and you are worth telling it!
Joe Pack Arnold M.Div.; CSAT; CPSP is Director of Spiritual Services at Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Treatment Services, an extension of Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Visit at www.pinegrove-treatment.com.
Contact Us Today.
