Before I get to my topic for this month, I’d like to commend William Matteson for his excellent article on fentanyl. As a professional, many times I’m critical about articles on addiction. This one has five stars, top shelf. This article appeared in the Dunkirk OBSERVER on Jan. 7-8. I would hope copies of this would go to every high school, middle school and elementary school in Chautauqua County.

As many of you have read, that follow my column, we have been repeating over and over the dangers of fentanyl, especially synthetic fentanyl, which increases the potency 60 to 80 times regular fentanyl. As I read Matteson’s article, I was also sad, because the treatment in our rehabs today stresses “harm reduction,” not abstinence, As a 35-year counselor and 38-year member of Alcoholics Anonymous, I find this very disturbing. I’m not going into more, suffice it to say, “wake up, treatment centers.” More people are overdosing and dying than ever before. This isn’t due to COVID, the economy or the storms we had. It’s due to poor treatment, with the idea of one supervisor’s statement, “At least we’re keeping them alive.” Are you?

We often use humor as a therapeutic treatment method. REBT often uses humor to help reduce alcoholics’ and drug abusers’ irrational belief to absurdity and to help those chemically dependent to give up these beliefs. Laughter can dramatically jolt clients into giving up their self-defeating habits and push them into anti-addictive action. REBT has pioneered in using rational humorous songs with chronic addicts.

These songs are often given as homework assignments for alcohol and substance abusers to sing to themselves when their anxiety, depression and low frustration tolerance kicks in, driving them to abuse or encouraging them to remain addicted. Below is a list of the songs we have used in REBT the past 30 years that have been found to be effective:

¯ “Drinking, I’m Always Thinking of You” — to the tune of “Margie,” by Con Conrad and J. Russell Robinson.

“Drinking, I’m always thinking of you!

Drinking, I’ll tell the world I love you!

Don’t forget your promise to me –

I can drink and never sink beyond the brink!

Oh, drinking, with you to sweetly guide me, I am never blue!

After all is said and done

There is really only one –

Oh, stinking drinking, it’s you!”

¯ “Beautiful Hang-up” — to the tune of “Beautiful Dreamer,” by Stephen Foster.

“Beautiful hang-up, why should we part

When we have shared our whole lives from the start

We are so used to taking one course

Oh, what a crime it would be to divorce!

Beautiful hang-up, don’t go away!

Who will befriend me if you do not stay?

Though you still make me look like a jerk

Living without you would take too much work.

Living without you would take too much work!”

¯ I Wish I Were Not Crazy” — to the tune of “Dixie,” by Don Emmett.

“Oh, I wish I were really put together –

Smooth and fine as patent leather!

Oh, how great to be rated Innately sedate!

But I’m afraid that I was fated to be rather aberrated –

Oh, how sad to be mad as my mom and my dad

Oh, I wish I were not crazy! Hooray, Hooray!

I wish my mind were less inclined

To be the kind that’s hazy!

I could agree to be less crazy

But, alas I’m just too damned lazy!

Shame attacking exercises

Feelings of shame, embarrassment and humiliation are the essence of much human disturbance. Frequently people are “driven” to alcohol and other drugs in order to temporarily live with such feelings. Dr. Albert Ellis, therefore, invented these exercises with the most self-downing chronic addicts and alcoholics, who at first feel ashamed about their original failures and rejections, and who secondly feel enormously ashamed of their failure to get and stay sober.

Don’t tip a waiter or cab driver who has given you poor service.

Wear an out-of-fashion suit or dress that is still serviceable.

Dress comfortably for a formal or semi-formal affair.

Tell a friend or relative about your serious drinking or drug problem.

Tell people what bad acts you have done under the influence.

Confess your fear and inadequacies to significant people.

Remember now, do this act you consider shameful, such as wearing outlandish clothing or panhandling for money in the street, but really work on not being ashamed when you do it. The main idea has been that under the influence, chemically dependent people do many irrational behaviors. Some they remember, some they don’t. They are haunted by both. Thus, in order to move towards positive self-worth they need to change their thinking, that not everything is awful, terrible or horrible. Changing their thinking and vocabulary is a key.

Mike Tramuta, an REBT counselor, can be reached at 716-983-1592.