Not 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 […]
Archive for the ‘Depression & Suicide’ Category
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 […]
The Next Frontier of Recovery: Emotional Sobriety
Posted byI think that many oldsters who have put our AA “booze cure” to severe but successful tests still find they often lack emotional sobriety. Perhaps they will be the spearhead for the next major development in AA — the development of much more real maturity and balance (which is to say, humility) in our relations […]
Healing Shame Through Self-Affirmation
Posted bySince 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 […]
12 Symptoms of Inner Peace
Posted byBy 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 […]
NCLAP: There’s Always Someone To Talk To
Posted byTwo 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 […]
Common Questions For LAP
Posted byHow can I overcome my lifelong habit of procrastination? What can I do about my partner who is developing a serious drinking problem? How can I breathe new life into my declining practice? How can I get myself organized? Why do I always feel overwhelmed? How can I deal with my overbearing boss? I think […]