In our society, there is a very negative and prevalent association with the words “addict” and “alcoholic.” This antiquated association was, and continues to be, born of ignorance and unhealthy shame, or stigma. Shame and the societal stigma that accompanies it are detrimental to understanding addiction, identifying those in need of treatment, and facilitating acceptance, […]
By Saskia Davis, ©1984 Be on the lookout for symptoms of inner peace. The hearts of a great many have already been exposed to inner peace and it is possible that people everywhere could come down with it in epidemic proportions. 1. A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on […]
Since about 1980, there has been a phenomenal interest in and writing about shame, a topic that had received little prior attention. We have more understanding of the results of childhood neglect and abuse, and how that relates to addiction, the self’s inner relationship with the self, and the significance of shame. We now have […]
It was like any other Monday morning. I got up and got in the shower and began planning the day ahead. After a few minutes I started feeling dizzy while I was shaving. My heart started racing, my breathing became short and erratic, and an unexplainable sense of fear overcame me. The anxiety seemed to […]
I was always able to get by on my brains and wits, so the drinking in high school and later in college wasn’t an obstacle to making it through. Of course, I wasted my brains by doing as little as possible academically, had a good time, and finished college with “gentlemans.” Looking back on it […]
I come from a family of worriers, and I’ve done a lot of worrying in my life. I now do it less than ever, but there was a time when I thought I was a “worry addict.” Of course, a feeling of any kind can be “addictive”—we can use one feeling or mood to alter […]
I always liked partying. I liked the way drinking made me feel. I knew I drank more than most of my friends, but I didn’t think too much about it. I played around with some drugs, but I never went to great efforts to seek them out. I was pretty much content with drinking. It […]
Once a drunk, always a drunk. How many times have we heard colleagues say this about another lawyer after his or her latest escapade, brush with the law, or embarrassing scene at an office party? Unfortunately, in many segments of society, including the law, this belief is stated as a fact, despite evidence compiled over […]
Following is the story of a North Carolina Bar member. In the spirit of avoiding pride in recovery, it is provided to you anonymously. While in my first year of law school my father passed away from hard living and booze. I was terribly angry with him at death too. Not only was there the hurt […]
Two lawyers who were very respected members of the Bar were both patients seeing the same counselor. Each had come because of loneliness, depression, and burnout. Neither was aware that the other was also seeking help. As the sessions progressed both men talked about their deep caring about many of their clients and their love […]
Johnny Carson was once asked why he quit drinking and his response was, “I don’t drink well.” This definition certainly fits me, although for many years I was able to drink quite well and alcohol was my solution not my problem. In my late years of drinking, I managed to brighten up the whole room […]
The stories of fellow alcoholics are the fresh minted coins of survival. You pass yours to the next person in the hope he or she will see a gleam of their own life and find the treasure of recovery. This is the story of a woman PALS member offered anonymously in that tradition. Call PALS […]