Tatum O’Neal. Britney Spears. Lindsay Lohan. Your dear sweet Aunt Mamie. Why do so many substance abusers keep getting sucked back into their addictions–just when you think they’ve bounced back for good? According to psychologists at the University of Wisconsin, it’s because these folks never deal with the original core substance responsible for their substance […]
Author Archive
The General’s Story
Posted byThe LAP received a call on the afternoon of July 24, 2007, from the daughter of an aging attorney. She said that she needed assistance to help her 90-year-old father close his law practice. Though I did not speak with the woman, my initial impression was that she was seeking to have someone from the […]
Worry: A Bad Habit
Posted byWhat is the difference between being a conscientious lawyer and a worrier? While they may at first blush seem to be similar, an understanding of the physiology of worry shows how different they really are. Worrying involves spending a lot of time thinking about negative possibilities. Worrying becomes a problem when the excessive thinking of […]
Surrender: A Recovery Story
Posted byI was not one of those who was confused as to why my world was falling apart around me. I knew. All too well. It was my addiction and alcoholism. I remember exactly where I was when I looked myself in the rear-view mirror of my truck and admitted I was an addict and an […]
The Overlooked Population: Women and Sexual Addiction
Posted byOne by one, well-known individuals are putting a face on the problem of sexual addiction. Beginning with a United States President, who was never formally diagnosed but clearly showed signs of the disorder, to multiple politicians and religious leaders, to media personalities, the term “sex addict” conjures up a specific face for most people. Far […]
Living with Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Posted byNot too long ago, a client whom I was treating for prescription drug abuse, looked at me and said, “It’s my desperate need to silence my feelings that drives me to want to use.” She went on to describe what it felt like to live in her skin. “It’s as if the people in my […]
Staying Strong: Recognizing Relapse Warning Signs
Posted byFor the person who has worked hard to reach recovery, the prospect of relapsing can be troubling. The best defense against relapse is to understand the causes and warning signs. The notion that relapse means a return to alcohol or drug use is false. Actually, relapse is a process whereby a series of events render […]
Good Karma – Instructions for Life
Posted by1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk. 2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson. 3. Follow the three R’s: respect for self, respect for others, and responsibility for all your actions. 4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck. 5. Learn […]
Malcolm’s Story: Tragedy in Early Recovery
Posted byI’m telling my story because it is an important story to tell. I came into the Gambler’s Anonymous (GA) 12-step program in March 1987, and since then I have attended thousands of meetings. I didn’t know what to expect when I went to my first meeting, but I knew I had gambled compulsively for 26 […]
Intervention: Give Voice to Silent Problems
Posted byIt wasn’t too long ago that you saw him on television and read about him in the newspapers, as he spoke for his famous client. He relished the spotlight, the notoriety, and the money; and he seemed to be at the top of his career. Mike, a pugnacious lawyer, was short in stature but larger […]