Gabby Bernstein

And so they'd oftentimes be a day or two days clean and sober. Maybe I'd meet them in their first week of sobriety. And the rooms were just filled with shame and blame and detox, and you'd walk in. And this was the work that I was workshopping with them because I often would workshop whatever I was writing at the time because it's on my mind.

And I'd enter these rooms and I would open up with something pretty bold and a little bit risky, but I felt like I had enough self-presence to do this with them. And I would say, first and foremost, I am you. I know you. I recognize myself in you. And I would make that connection. And then I would invite them to share openly or just raise their hand or just get honest with themselves.

And I'd enter these rooms and I would open up with something pretty bold and a little bit risky, but I felt like I had enough self-presence to do this with them. And I would say, first and foremost, I am you. I know you. I recognize myself in you. And I would make that connection. And then I would invite them to share openly or just raise their hand or just get honest with themselves.

And I'd enter these rooms and I would open up with something pretty bold and a little bit risky, but I felt like I had enough self-presence to do this with them. And I would say, first and foremost, I am you. I know you. I recognize myself in you. And I would make that connection. And then I would invite them to share openly or just raise their hand or just get honest with themselves.

And I'd say, how many people in this room have experienced some kind of adverse trauma as a child? And everybody in the room would raise their hand. And then I would ask them to really recognize that for a moment. And then I would say to them, well, that's really difficult stuff to ever have to face. And so wouldn't it make sense that we would do whatever it takes to put out that fire?

And I'd say, how many people in this room have experienced some kind of adverse trauma as a child? And everybody in the room would raise their hand. And then I would ask them to really recognize that for a moment. And then I would say to them, well, that's really difficult stuff to ever have to face. And so wouldn't it make sense that we would do whatever it takes to put out that fire?

And I'd say, how many people in this room have experienced some kind of adverse trauma as a child? And everybody in the room would raise their hand. And then I would ask them to really recognize that for a moment. And then I would say to them, well, that's really difficult stuff to ever have to face. And so wouldn't it make sense that we would do whatever it takes to put out that fire?

Wouldn't it make sense that we would go to all lengths to not have to feel that? And everyone would sort of nod their head and be like, yeah, that makes sense. Like I would have to just put that out. And then I said, well, if we were going to any length to put out that fire, wouldn't And that led us to addiction.

Wouldn't it make sense that we would go to all lengths to not have to feel that? And everyone would sort of nod their head and be like, yeah, that makes sense. Like I would have to just put that out. And then I said, well, if we were going to any length to put out that fire, wouldn't And that led us to addiction.

Wouldn't it make sense that we would go to all lengths to not have to feel that? And everyone would sort of nod their head and be like, yeah, that makes sense. Like I would have to just put that out. And then I said, well, if we were going to any length to put out that fire, wouldn't And that led us to addiction.

Can you have a little, possibly open your mind now to see that addiction as something that was trying to protect you? And half the room would be like, no, my addiction is terrible. I'm a piece of shit. And that's where they are. I mean, to ask them to see it differently in that moment might be too extreme.

Can you have a little, possibly open your mind now to see that addiction as something that was trying to protect you? And half the room would be like, no, my addiction is terrible. I'm a piece of shit. And that's where they are. I mean, to ask them to see it differently in that moment might be too extreme.

Can you have a little, possibly open your mind now to see that addiction as something that was trying to protect you? And half the room would be like, no, my addiction is terrible. I'm a piece of shit. And that's where they are. I mean, to ask them to see it differently in that moment might be too extreme.

But I'd see the other half of the room and they'd be like, for a second, a split second, yeah, maybe I've been using to numb this thing out. And I'm not actually a horrible person. I'm just a wounded person who's been trying to put out the flames. And as the hour would go on, we might be able to get a little bit more and more connected to that addiction.

But I'd see the other half of the room and they'd be like, for a second, a split second, yeah, maybe I've been using to numb this thing out. And I'm not actually a horrible person. I'm just a wounded person who's been trying to put out the flames. And as the hour would go on, we might be able to get a little bit more and more connected to that addiction.

But I'd see the other half of the room and they'd be like, for a second, a split second, yeah, maybe I've been using to numb this thing out. And I'm not actually a horrible person. I'm just a wounded person who's been trying to put out the flames. And as the hour would go on, we might be able to get a little bit more and more connected to that addiction.

And so I think that if any addicts are listening or people who are loved ones of addicts, we all have our own forms of addiction. If you can even just simply reframe it for a moment and say, oh, you know, every time I go to the sugar, I'm going there because, you know, I'm triggered by something or there might be something underneath that. I mean, I'm curious.

And so I think that if any addicts are listening or people who are loved ones of addicts, we all have our own forms of addiction. If you can even just simply reframe it for a moment and say, oh, you know, every time I go to the sugar, I'm going there because, you know, I'm triggered by something or there might be something underneath that. I mean, I'm curious.

And so I think that if any addicts are listening or people who are loved ones of addicts, we all have our own forms of addiction. If you can even just simply reframe it for a moment and say, oh, you know, every time I go to the sugar, I'm going there because, you know, I'm triggered by something or there might be something underneath that. I mean, I'm curious.

Or maybe you have more awareness and you know that you're drinking over your childhood wounds. And you could say, well, I have a lot of compassion for myself when I pick up a drink. That's an opening. These are openings to start to open up a new perspective of the why behind the pattern.