I have a fundamental and profound belief in discovery and recovery, and this belief guides me in my work with women. In discovery, I help women to understand that it is through looking back that they can make sense of their current reality. The need to have life make sense is intrinsic to all of us. I can go into the mechanics of cognitive functioning and our minds need for a sequential continuum, however, it is more meaningful to simply state that we all need to have events make sense. When things don't make sense we fill in the spaces that don't make sense with emotions. We connect the dots in the events of our lives with threads that are emotional binds from one event or dot to the next. These events do not need to be big events rather they are most often the little events that add up. And the emotional threads that are connectors are both positive and negative.
For women it is frequently the case that the emotional threads that connect their dots are negative belief systems about themselves. The vast majority of women are unsettled in their own bodies. The word unsettled can be replaced with unhappy, dissatisfied, critical of, disconnected in, feel betrayed by (their own bodies). This basic reality has driven the sales of countless periodicals, products, programs and professions.
While this basic reality is consistent across the United States regional differences are seen with women and their focus on body awareness. In Southern California yoga, pilates, boot camp and mindful meditation proliferates and has become part of a health and fitness culture and industry.
Science has educated women on the benefits of physical fitness and promoted exercise as a way of staying healthy and happy. The positive effects of endorphins obtained through exercise and using this work as a way of reducing stress and dealing with depression and anxiety is understood and acknowledged.
It is recommended that part of addiction treatment include exercise due to the obvious physical benefits; overall health, endorphin release and a sense of strength and physical power that can be obtained or perhaps re-gained. Addicts have ignored, neglected and ravaged their physical being and regaining their physical strength is empowering.
Where it becomes challenging is the juncture of physical exercise and bodywork. This is due to the reality that for many addicts living inside their body and experiencing body awareness has so long been avoided. This may be due to: a lack of self esteem, physical or sexual trauma, or poor body image. Because body work such as meditation, yoga, massage therapy and some of the therapeutic modalities that involve body awareness need to be delayed until trauma is resolved and the individual feels physically stronger and able to tolerate a greater awareness of their body. Indeed introducing bodywork prematurely can bring about levels of anxiety that feel intolerable and can threaten progress made. Indeed introducing bodywork before the individual is prepared leads to anxiety, stress and a desire to disconnect from self awareness. Therefore, it is essential that the introduction of body work for women be appropriate for their individual needs and sense of self.
