Sitting with painful feelings : an enlightening interview with Chris Flemming

I wanted to write a post on sitting with painful feelings after listening a moment ago to a very enlightening interview with philosopher Chris Flemming on his experiences with addiction, and struggle with issues such as OCD a moment ago. Chris is an academic lecturer now and has found means of working with the pain he was medicating before with his use of alcohol, drugs and prescription meds. He also sights the influence of his Catholic education which he believes taught him he could change how he feels by taking in a substance, siting this as one of the most powerful influences within our culture. He mentions how the idea of transubstantiation (when we eat the communion wafer we are told we eating of the body of Christ and will be improved or changed by that experience) as a powerful influence on him.

Chris learned in the course of his recovery that he had find ways to sit with his pain and discomfort. He makes the point that healthy people know it is natural to be overwhelmed with painful feelings at times, where as addicts do anything to change that, he also spoke of the power of shame which made him believe he was not fit for a world were others naturally coped, mentioning also the impact of being raised in a family which “didn’t do moderation.”

I am providing a link below to the programme which appeared on All In The Mind this afternoon, on ABC Radio National in Australia.

https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/allinthemind/a-memoir-on-drugs-and-addiction/11524844