“Getting involved sexually with a man at work was like picking up a drink for me. I descended into a fog. When I was sexually acting out, I was oblivious to how my behavior was affecting other people and me. It made me susceptible to all the negativity in the office. I threw away my […]
Archive for the ‘Process Addictions’ Category
The Addictive Personality and the Legal Profession
Posted byOne of the questions I get asked over and over in meetings with local bars across the state is, “Are lawyers really that much more likely to become alcoholics or drug addicts?” Or, said another way, are lawyers more apt than others to contract addictive disease? The statistics for the general population reflect that approximately […]
The Promises of Alcoholics Anonymous
Posted byOne morning I went to a place beyond dawn. A source of sweetness that flows and is never less. I have been shown a beauty that would confuse both worlds, but I won’t cause that uproar. – ‘Rumi No matter how we grow up -wealthy or poor, well loved or forsaken – we form a view of life. […]
The Importance of Trust and Curiosity In Treatment
Posted byTurns out that one of the most important aspects to addressing any emotional, mental health or addiction problem is learning to be curious. Over the years, numerous studies of the application of different psychological theories have failed to show any factor about a particular theory which made the application of that psychological theory better than […]
There’s Happiness in Healthy Relationships
Posted byRecently social scientists have taken a look at the relationship between material well-being and emotional well-being or happiness. For most of the world, greater levels of material wealth have led to greater levels of perceived emotional well-being, most everywhere, that is, but in the United States. (The Atlantic, January/February 2003) In the United States, those defining […]
Addicted to Depression
Posted byWe’ve all heard the phrase “dry drunk, ” referring to a person who is alcoholic and who has stopped drinking, but who has not done anything to address the underlying emotional and psychological issues, which his or her drinking medicated. Recent experience suggests there may also be something similar for the person who suffers from […]
The Dangers of Anger
Posted byTatum 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 […]
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 […]
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 […]