If you have already lost everything, you have nothing to lose with trying BWRT
Written by Doreen Hofmeyr
Alcohol addiction stripped this intelligent and educated man in his forties of everything he held dear: his marriage disintegrated, he lost his home, he lost his job and his financial security, he lost friends, and, eventually, he lost his self-worth and self-respect. He continuously made efforts to curb the addiction. This included traditional forms of therapy and nine months in a rehabilitation facility. It was not enough to free him from the grip of alcohol addiction. In the times his circumstances stabilized, he often felt confident enough to attempt to overcome his addiction on his own, but when stress, anxiety and depression returned, the addiction returned with it.
When I met the client, he had already decided to put in the effort, and at the time had refrained from using alcohol for about four weeks. He had heard about Brain Working Recursive Therapy (BWRT) and said that he was willing to try it, since he had nothing to lose. At the time, he was without a home or employment. Caring family members provided him with a room and food.
BWRT is divided into three levels. Level 2 is centered on the formation of a new identity. In this case, this identity was one where the client sees himself living and coping without the crutches of alcohol. The foundational science of BWRT is that all human behavior, belief, perception, and reactions are ruled by neural pathways in the brain. Even our own identities – our beliefs of self – is stored in neural pathways. With traditional modes of therapy, those neural pathways frame discussions, solutions, and the client’s view of the future. BWRT signifies a sudden, momentous departure from the old identity.
The client’s old identity, which is stored in neural pathways and continuously reinforced by lived experience, dictated his thinking, feeling and behavior regarding the use of alcohol. Through BWRT Level 2, the client crafted and embedded a new, preferred identity: one that is committed to wellness and health, is financially independent, has a sense of self-worth, and is able to form lasting relationships and live a meaningful life. The crafting of the new identity also included reflecting on the triggers which usually led to the use of alcohol, and what those triggers will mean in the future.
After the BWRT Level 2 sessions, the new identity of the client and corresponding new preferred neural pathways were stored. The client reported that the need to fill a feeling of emptiness with alcohol was dissipating. After 8 weeks of BWRT Level 2 therapy, he was ready to face normal life, guided by a new identity and free of his dependence on alcohol.
Over the past 18 months he was able to obtain employment and a home. He can now work on building his future and realizing his dreams and has actively trying to regain all that he has lost.
Counseling Psychologist
BWRT Practitioner