My dad has been an alcoholic since years now. We have tried everything to try to stop his addiction. We have treated him with love, with anger and have also given him medications prescribed by a doctor. But he just can’t seem to stop. Someone suggested that therapy might help. How does therapy treat alcoholism? What is going to be the process? How can we convince him to go for therapy?

Alcoholism like other addictions has roots in early life relational problems and traumas. Long term consistent therapy will definitely help your father process his emotional wounds from early life, which in time will decrease his urge to numb his emotional pain through alcohol. You can gently ask him to visit a therapist whenever he is sober. He may open up to the idea.

I’m a 20-year-old who has a few good friends and a loving family but I have a dark past because of which I often find the need to talk to my loved ones and share my feelings with them but every time I want to say something, words just don’t come out. How can I convince myself that it’s okay to talk about my past? How can I be more vocal about my emotions?

You need to accept your past and process the emotions that it brings out for you. Acceptance is the first step in your journey towards healing. It’s okay to have made mistakes or to still feel bad about whatever life threw at you in the past. Any guilt, pain or fear arising from your past experiences needs to be processed by you. You can start maintaining a journal or seek therapy to unearth your problems. Owning your past and talking about your emotions will ultimately make you a happier person.

I am a 24-year-old who overthinks like anything. Thinking about something in endless circles is so exhausting. It’s driving me crazy. Please tell me how to stop.

Thinking too much is a defence mechanism for some people in order to escape from their emotions. Most of the thinkers feel less. Thinking more protects them from feeling more which they are afraid of. Try asking yourself questions such as ‘what am I running away from by overthinking’. You can find clues about your overthinking pattern if you start to notice your feelings at that particular moment. Writing down a daily journal about your thoughts and feelings will also help.