Transcription:

Deborah Howell (Host): The road to sobriety from addiction can be a long and winding one, which is why it's often referred to as a journey. Today, we'll hear from someone who's been down that road and has a story to tell. I'm Deborah Howell, and our guest today is Barbara Lynch, a patient at the Women's Hospital Center for Healing Arts. Welcome, Barbara.

Barbara Lynch: Thank you.

Host: It is a delight to have you with us today. Just really interested in hearing your story. Can you start off and tell us when did you start struggling with alcoholism and bipolar depression?

Barbara Lynch: Well, my struggle with depression began in my early 20s. I actually had it in my teens, but it wasn't identified or diagnosed until later. My struggle with alcohol started about 15 years ago, although I struggled with food addiction for years before that.

Host: And if you were to think about it, do you know what some of the root causes of these issues were?

Barbara Lynch: Well, I can absolutely say childhood trauma, emotional abuse and neglect, sexual abuse. My father was an alcoholic. So, there's a genetic predisposition as well. And I carried those issues into adulthood along with low self-esteem and a lack of self-love. I had a lot of body image issues and it made it difficult to be comfortable around people.

Host: Okay. And when did you decide it was just time to seek help for these issues?

Barbara Lynch: Well, depression really started affecting my life in my 20s. At that time, I was a single mother. I sought help and support through therapy at that time. As I mentioned earlier, my drinking problem began later in life. What actually happened was I had weight loss surgery and I lost a significant amount of weight. At that time, I felt a bit more confident about dating after losing-- I lost around 180 pounds.

Host: Wow.

Barbara Lynch: Yeah.

Host: Congratulations.

Barbara Lynch: Thank you. So, the pressure of feeling good enough kind of triggered me to seek relief. And I decided, "Oh, how about just a glass of wine before the date?" Within about three to four months, I realized that one glass of wine turned into many glasses of wine. So several months later, I knew I was really in trouble. And at that time, I sought inpatient treatment for alcoholism.

Host: And when you sought treatment, how did you decide to go to the Women's Hospital Center for Healing Arts?

Barbara Lynch: Well, at the time that I sought treatment, they didn't have the Healing Arts Center, but my therapist, Lisa Seif, was in private practice. And I contacted her for therapy and so, I was a client of hers for years before she started working for the Center for Healing Art. And once she began to practice there, I was privileged enough to follow her.

Host: Beautiful. When you look at your journey, was it hard at first to seek help for your issues?

Barbara Lynch: I don't really feel like it was hard for me. One thing that kind of helped me identify that it was a problem was I had worked in a treatment center on the addictions unit for about five years. And so, I kind of knew what the signs were that I was getting in trouble, and definitely realized when the drinking got so out of control that I just couldn't stop on my own, that I needed help. So, it was a relief to find a path out of the darkness and isolation of alcoholism.

Host: I can only imagine. Did you have any difficulties trying to stay sober while receiving your treatment?

Barbara Lynch: While receiving treatment, I was inpatient, so there really wasn't an opportunity to not stay sober. But I can honestly say, after treatment, you go home, you're by yourself, you have a lot of time on your hands, and it was like climbing the walls. So, I still had cravings and I felt anxious and I felt like going to support groups and I did it daily. I felt like that was really kind of the best thing I could do. And it really turned out to be the best thing I could do, be around other people with similar issues and be supportive to them and receive it back as well.

Host: So strong, those support groups. So, how is your overall process of becoming and staying sober?

Barbara Lynch: It kind of rolls out in a way that there was a beginning of middle and then a lifelong journey. It's kind of hard to look at it as one big thing because it becomes easier over time with the help of friends, family support, and just realizing the triggers that, you know, got me started in the first place, kind of accepting the challenges I had earlier in life, the difficulties being able to identify when some of those thoughts are coming up and having other avenues to stay in recovery, to stay sober.

Host: Well, Barbara, you're a strong, strong survivor, and I know in August you'll be sober for 10 years. Looking back through your whole journey, are there any words of wisdom you can give others that are struggling or were struggling with the same issues as you?

Barbara Lynch: I would say don't be afraid to put yourself first, taking the time out for yourself, being able to get to know yourself. It makes a difference on how you see the priority of sobriety and putting yourself first. Find support through friends, family support groups. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Believing in yourself and your abilities to go through the process of becoming sober and staying sober. Family and friends are also important that you remember how much they mean to you and how much you mean to them. And so, you want to continue on the journey. Get to know yourself. Therapy is wonderful. It really helps to open up the window and see where some of these issues began and how they affected you and kind of led you down the path of destruction.

Host: Yeah, yeah.

Barbara Lynch: And though it can be difficult for some, learn to love yourself because it makes self-care so much easier.

Host: That's beautifully said, Barbara. Beautifully. We want to just thank you for really good information, first of all. And second of all, inspiration, 10 years sober just is a milestone for sure. Thank you so much, Barbara, for sharing your recovery story with us.

Barbara Lynch: Oh, sure. I hope it helps at least one person, if not many.

Host: I'm with you there, And that wraps up this episode of the podcast series from Deaconess, the Women's Hospital, a place for all your life. For more information, you can go to www.deaconess.com/thewomenshospital/services/centerforhealingarts. Please remember to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and all the other Deaconess Women's Hospital podcasts.

For more health tips and updates, follow us on your social channels. I'm Deborah Howell. Thanks for listening and have yourself a great day.