Schick Shadel - Day 8

Well - here we are at Day 8...more accurately the end of Day 8.  Like the others, today started with the 6:30am BOC meeting, followed by a wonderful breakfast and then the first group meeting of the day. Sam the counselor led the BOC and first meeting of the day. BOC and the subsequent meeting focused on identifying who we really are and what our personal needs of fulfillment might be. The focus was basically that until we can satisfy our own needs that it will be very difficult to positively interact with others. It was a very good discussion and frankly one that made me a bit uncomfortable. Obviously this is an area that needs some work! Sam gave some good handouts with exercises we will work on in our spare time. The other morning talk Sam gave was on the Drama Triangle. This is something everyone is exposed to where the Drama Triangle includes the following roles:  Victim/Martyr;  Offender;  Rescuer. Each of the roles is required and is complex enough that during the drama people can actually manipulate the situation and switch roles.  I've personally spent way too much time in this triangle in the past. The crazy part is that adding alcohol into the drama triangle was certainly like adding gasoline to the fire. 
Since Duffy #4 was scheduled for 3pm, the rest of my morning was spent working on the various reading, handouts and hydrating for the inevitable.
Duffy #4 was definitely the most challenging so far. Once I walked out of the room my scrubs top was drenched in sweat.  I really wanted this one to give me extreme discomfort and the bartender did not disappoint. Sabina had the day off but Florence definitely stepped up to the plate. I did not come out of my room until 5pm and was pretty wiped out.
Dinner was at 6pm and our final group meeting started at 7pm. Alfred led a great discussion on "Overcoming Invisibility".  Personally this topic addressed the many masks I had tended to wear...another example of difficulty in being "myself"...whoever that is! As I mentioned previously, this is an area that needs work.
Each day ends with a comment from everyone (in-patients, visiting graduates and phone-ins). This is always challenging for me as I am grateful for so many things. My comment today was that I am grateful for Schick Shadel and that they are not only providing relief from the alcohol insanity but that the program provides so much education to address our ultimate goal of becoming better human beings. As always, I am forever grateful for family and can't wait to get back home and give everyone a big hug.
Oh yes...and although I haven't updated this item for a couple of days, I'm still managing to get in a 6.2 mile run/day. Some days tougher than others but still getting in the exercise and feeling a great sense of accomplishment for doing this little bit for myself.
Good night for now...