ALARMING TREND DURING THE PANDEMIC DRINKING ALCOHOL IS UP 14% BY MEN 17% FOR WOMEN BINGE DRINKING AT SPIKED BY 41% SO HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU’RE DRINKING HAS BECOME A PROBLEM TONIGHT JULIE CORNELL REPORTS ON A PSYCHOTHERAPIST SHARING HER OWN. VARIANCE ALL RIGHT AND REST SHE’S A MOM OF THREE USING SELF-CARE AND STRENGTH TO GET THROUGH A PANDEMIC GRATEFUL. SHE HAS COPING TOOLS FOR STRESS AND ANXIETY BOXING HAS BEEN REALLY HELPFUL FOR ME. YOGA IS ALL REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ME. SHE KNOWS PEOPLE’S MINDS ARE SWIRLING RIGHT NOW. YOU FEEL LONELY YOU FEEL SCARED. YOU FEEL SAD YOU FEEL ANGRY AND THAT FEELING IS SO UNCOMFORTABLE THOUGH. WE WANT TO REACH TO SOMETHING RIGHT AWAY TO MAKE IT FEEL BETTER FOR HANNAH MIRON THAT SOMETHING USED TO BE. ALCOHOL THROUGHOUT ME 20S AND 30S WOULD DRINK SOMETIMES I WOULDN’T THINGS WERE HARD IN MY LIFE. I LIVED IN WASHINGTON DC WHEN DURING NINE ELEVEN AND I WAS A STRESSFUL TIME. SO I TURNED OUT CALLED IN TO KIND OF COPE HANNAH SAID WITH EACH PREGNANCY. SHE STOPPED DRINKING BUT NEW CHALLENGES ALWAYS SURFACED. I WENT THROUGH HARD DIVORCE. WHICH WAS SCARY AND AND UNCOMFORTABLE AND NEW AND DIFFERENT SO I’LL CALL BECAME A REALLY CONVENIENT COPING TOOL FOR ME AT NIGHT ALONE. SHE WOULD PUT AWAY A BOTTLE OF 9 AS EVERYONE SLAPPED STARTED TO MAKE ME FEEL LIKE IT. I WASN’T MYSELF LIKE ALCOHOL WAS THE THING. I I FEEL LIKE I NEEDED IT TO BE ME. THAT WAS FIVE YEARS AGO. I MADE THEM CHANGE WITH MY OWN LIFE AND HAVE ADDRESSED A LOT OF THINGS AND AND FEEL GRATEFUL THAT I THOUGHT THE SUPPORT TO TO BECOME NOW A LITTLE BIT BETTER AND SOMETHING ELSE ABOUT HANNAH. SHE’S BEEN A PSYCHOTHERAPIST FOR 15 YEARS AND NOW TREATS PATIENCE FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE BY REMOVING LABELS. MY BELIEF IS THAT I DON’T THINK ANYBODY NEEDS. HAS LABEL THEMSELVES AS AN ALCOHOLIC OR TO EVEN SAY THAT I HAVE I’LL CALL USE DISORDER OR THAT I’M AN ADDICT. I THINK SOMETIMES IT CAN HELP TO SAY I’M USING ALCOHOL OR DRUGS OR SOMETHING AS A COPING TOOL AND IT’S HAVING SOME NEGATIVE IMPACT OF MY LIFE AND I WANT TO STOP OR TO LOOK AT THAT. SHE OPERATES MUCH OF A PRACTICE AS A LIFE COACH AVOIDING DIAGNOSES AND TYPICALLY NOT BILLING INSURANCE SESSIONS ARE ABOUT WELLNESS. WE LOOK AT WHAT CAN WE DO AND AND WHAT WE TALK ABOUT THAT’S GOING TO MAKE YOUR LIFE GET BETTER. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO GO FROM HERE? INSTEAD OF DIAGNOSING YOU AS A SEC PERSON LOOKING AT YOU. IT’S A HEALTHY PERSON. THAT’S ACTUALLY MAKING A HUGE CHOICE TO BETTER THEIR LIFE AND THEIR FAMILY’S LIFE. HANNAH SAYS YOU MIGHT BE USING BOOZE TO COPE IF YOU SPEND MOST OF YOUR TIME EITHER THINKING ABOUT DRINKING OR DRINKING OR RECOVERING FROM DRINKING WHEN IT’S CREATING A PROBLEM IN YOUR LIFE, AND IT’S CREATING EITHER HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OR MEMORY PROBLEMS OR PROBLEMS WITH YOUR MAKING YOU FEEL THE BEST THAT YOU CAN BE. SHE SAYS IT’S HELPFUL TO MINDFULLY ASSESS HOW YOU’RE USING ALCOHOL AND GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK FROM IT TAKING A BREAK OR STOPPING FOR FOR A MONTH OR 30 DAYS 90 DAYS A YEAR TO KIND OF SEE WHO AM I WITHOUT ALCOHOL. WHO AM I WITHOUT SUBSTANCES BECAUSE HANNAH SAYS THERE’S HAPPINESS IN FINDING CLARITY AND TRULY BEING YOURSELF. SO WHEN YOU’RE TOTALLY SOBER YOU REALLY MORE PRESENT AND ABLE TO FOCUS AND BE THERE AND IT’S A REALLY DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIP. AND GREAT ADVICE THERE, IT’S JULIE CORNELL REPORTING HANNAH AND HER COLLEAGUES AT OMAHA PSYCHOTHERAPY DO HAVE WAITING LISTS, BUT THEY ARE WORKING PEOPLE. LIN THEY WILL ALSO BILL INSURANCE IF YOU WANT TO GO TO COUNSELING ROUTE. SHE S