About Face

Stories tell us about where we come from, who we are. They give us meaning and purpose. And without some understanding of how they influence us, a story can keep us in bad habits. I want to use my own life as an example of how my own stories kept me from healing, and how learning new narratives gave me room to heal. I started drinking alcoholically when I was about 16, though I wouldn’t have admitted it. I did know something was “wrong” especially after I wound up in the hospital with alcohol poisoning on my 16th birthday, however, no amount of therapists, family interventionists, even doctors could have persuaded me that I had a problem with alcohol, or that I was an alcoholic. But why? In some ways, it was obvious even then. One of the most powerful transformations I have made in my life was the recovery from alcoholism. This began with the pain of admitting something was wrong and connecting with my own narratives around alcoholism, failure, perfectionism, self-worth, and love. For me, getting sober meant