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Life with Addictions - with Robyn Flemming
"You never drank THAT much."
How often have you heard this yourself or said the same to a friend or family member? Many people consider their level of drinking as 'normal', when in reality it's masking a distressed emotional state.
We all develop coping mechanisms to deal with stress and people drink alcohol for a variety of reasons. So when does a self medicating vice become an addiction?
As Robyn Flemming shares this week, it's not so much the amount, but the affect it has and what you're seeking through it. It's also about what you're seeking through your drinking - what is the wound your trying to manage? In this episode Robyn talks candidly about her life with addictions, primarily with alcohol, but also other dependencies. She reveals the ever present personal negotiations around her drinking, and the trade offs she made to enable her addictions. For those with no experience of addiction, Robyn will help you to understand the complexities of this path, the internal struggles and what happens when you start to not like your own behaviour.
This is a powerful episode that encourages the listener to reflect on the relationship with themselves and explore their own coping mechanisms.
Robyn is the author of "Skinful: A Memoir of Addiction" and a freelance book editor. An Australian, she lived in Hong Kong from 1986 to 1993, and was a global nomad from 2010 to 2020. A former "grey area" drinker, she has run five marathons and 48 half marathons all over the world. In 2022, she will resume her global travels. Robyn is a keen smartphone street photographer.
Resources
- Buy the book - Skinful: A Memoir of Addiction
Follow Robyn
- Website
Follow Cath at Drawn to a Story
- Website
- Subscribe to the mailing list
Episode information
Music by Grant McLachlan
Resources for help
In the UK
Adfam - help for families dealing with drug and alcohol addiction
Al Anon - Family group support alcohol addiction, drug addiction and addictive behaviours
Carers UK - Support for carers
Samaritans - FREE Help - Tel: 116 123, E: [email protected]
NHS Depression Support Groups
NHS Mental Health Services
The British Psychology Society - Find a Psychologist
Mind - Addiction and Dependency Support
In the USA
National Institute of Mental Health - a range of helplines
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - Tel: 1-800-273-8255
American Psychologist Association - Psychologist Finder
USA Government - Help for Mental Health and Substance Abuse
In Australia
Beyond Blue - Mental health support
Headspace - National Youth Mental Health Foundation with support services
The Black Dog Institute - Medical health resources, services and research
SANE Australia - Counselling support, Tel: 1800 187 263 (10am - 10pm)
Alcohol and Drug Foundation - Help and Support Services
OR contact medical services in your country.
View all episodes
By Cath Brew"You never drank THAT much."
How often have you heard this yourself or said the same to a friend or family member? Many people consider their level of drinking as 'normal', when in reality it's masking a distressed emotional state.
We all develop coping mechanisms to deal with stress and people drink alcohol for a variety of reasons. So when does a self medicating vice become an addiction?
As Robyn Flemming shares this week, it's not so much the amount, but the affect it has and what you're seeking through it. It's also about what you're seeking through your drinking - what is the wound your trying to manage? In this episode Robyn talks candidly about her life with addictions, primarily with alcohol, but also other dependencies. She reveals the ever present personal negotiations around her drinking, and the trade offs she made to enable her addictions. For those with no experience of addiction, Robyn will help you to understand the complexities of this path, the internal struggles and what happens when you start to not like your own behaviour.
This is a powerful episode that encourages the listener to reflect on the relationship with themselves and explore their own coping mechanisms.
Robyn is the author of "Skinful: A Memoir of Addiction" and a freelance book editor. An Australian, she lived in Hong Kong from 1986 to 1993, and was a global nomad from 2010 to 2020. A former "grey area" drinker, she has run five marathons and 48 half marathons all over the world. In 2022, she will resume her global travels. Robyn is a keen smartphone street photographer.
Resources
- Buy the book - Skinful: A Memoir of Addiction
Follow Robyn
- Website
Follow Cath at Drawn to a Story
- Website
- Subscribe to the mailing list
Episode information
Music by Grant McLachlan
Resources for help
In the UK
Adfam - help for families dealing with drug and alcohol addiction
Al Anon - Family group support alcohol addiction, drug addiction and addictive behaviours
Carers UK - Support for carers
Samaritans - FREE Help - Tel: 116 123, E: [email protected]
NHS Depression Support Groups
NHS Mental Health Services
The British Psychology Society - Find a Psychologist
Mind - Addiction and Dependency Support
In the USA
National Institute of Mental Health - a range of helplines
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - Tel: 1-800-273-8255
American Psychologist Association - Psychologist Finder
USA Government - Help for Mental Health and Substance Abuse
In Australia
Beyond Blue - Mental health support
Headspace - National Youth Mental Health Foundation with support services
The Black Dog Institute - Medical health resources, services and research
SANE Australia - Counselling support, Tel: 1800 187 263 (10am - 10pm)
Alcohol and Drug Foundation - Help and Support Services
OR contact medical services in your country.