Lately I’ve been working on identifying both the content and operation of the unconscious in everyday life. Why? I want to be a better listener and better observer.
Below is a list I’ve been building for a while now – the list is found in the column on the left titled “General”. That column contains examples from everyday life that hint at, or gesture toward, the unconscious. For each item in that column I also attempt to provide a corresponding SUD-related example in the right column based on my clinical experience. That column on the right contains different kinds of examples: clinical presentations, counseling methods, and phrases from support people.
See if the lists make sense. General examples are first. Below those are basic examples from psychology. Next are four aspects of the unconscious taken directly from a technical lecture by Mark Solms. The final one is a very common SUD-specific example.
Which examples ring a bell for you? What examples would you add? What questions do you have about these? Maybe I could do a post on some of the ones we discuss – just let me know.
| General | Applied to Chronic, Severe SUDs |
| Can’t put two and two together. | Visual exercises e.g. Node-link mapping. |
| Doesn’t realize it’s already true. | “That was a one-off. It was in the past.” |
| “What I realized was…” | The relapse calendar/relapse timeline |
| Didn’t see it coming. | Relapse warning sign identification |
| Explained it after the fact but already knew. | Current justifications of future relapse |
| Thought it wouldn’t happen again. | Overconfidence without pattern recognition |
| The common denominator is you. | Where you go becomes a high-risk situation |
| “I should have known.” | Can list relapse factors; doesn’t apply them |
| Insight is lacking. | Excellent feedback for others but not self |
| “I forgot I knew that I don’t know.” | Self-obsession rather than asking for help |
| “I was on auto-pilot.” | “The next thing I knew, I was in detox.” |
| “I lost my train of thought.” | Journaling in-the-moment |
| “I don’t know how I knew.” | Listen to your own intuition and share it |
| Psychology | |
| Procedural learning: The backward bicycle | Destigmatizing; opens door to sponsorship |
| Context-dependent recall e.g. the room | Relaxation training; centering; mindfulness |
| State-dependent learning e.g. intoxicated | Abstinence as a protective factor |
| Elaborate cue context e.g. Rescorla | Functional analysis worksheet |
| Johari window | Receiving feedback & self-disclosure |
| The four aspects: Technical | |
| The unconscious is timeless | Ruled by the imprint of early life events |
| It tolerates mutual contradiction | Ruled by both sides; doesn’t find harmony |
| Interiority of mind dominates external reality | “First thought wrong.” |
| Primary process thinking dominates logic | Journaling as a protective factor |
| Addiction specific | |
| I relapsed again. I didn’t see it coming. | Symptom prescription; daily self-inventory |
References and Suggested Resources
Coon, B. A Classic Practice in Addiction Counseling. January 3, 2025.
Coon, B. “One Kind Fits All” Denial, All the Time. August 22, 2020.
Functional Analysis Worksheet. The Community Reinforcement Approach.
Luft, J. & Ingham, H. (1955). The Johari Window, a Graphic Model of Interpersonal Awareness. Proceedings of the Western Training Laboratory in Group Development. Los Angeles: UCLA.
Miller, M. & Gorski, T. (1992). The Staying Sober Workbook.
Smarter Every Day. The Backwards Bicycle.
White, M., & Epston, D. (1990). Narrative means to therapeutic ends. WW Norton.
