Why Not “Go Off To Rehab”? One of the most pervasive myths “everyone knows” is that you have to “go off to rehab” for 30, 60, or even 90 days in order to leave alcohol problems behind. With some very rare exceptions, going to residential treatment is a waste of time, money, effort, and reputation, [...]
“Mindfulness” — Another Effective Alternative To AA What’s “mindfulness”? As with most buzz words it’s another variation on “self-awareness,” but what it actually comes down to is PAYING ATTENTION! That’s right — paying attention, mostly to yourself, and what you’re using alcohol for. That’s easier said than done. Generally speaking, we drink in order to [...]
Happy Birthday from Google to Me… Today is my birthday and last week Google sent an early present, a new algorithm that screwed up our Internet listings for a week. In the bad old days that probably would have sent me scrambling for my vodka bottle(s) and several packs of cigarettes and into a two [...]
“If the only tool you have is a hammer, then every problem looks like a nail.” That is the fundamental problem with treatment in the U.S. and Canada. If the only tool you have is AA and the 12 Steps then everyone has to be either a “powerless alcoholic” or “in denial.” On the other [...]
Ambivalence – the Real Enemy When it comes down to fixing our alcohol abuse, or any other destructive behavior, the problem isn’t mythological “powerlessness” — it’s ambivalence. Really, we only sorta want to fix any of the things that we could be taking care of. Perhaps even more accurately, we just want the bad parts [...]
For Men Sometimes I think I write a bit more about women’s topics than I do about men’s and the some of the issues around drinking are different. For example, women tend to to be more solitary drinkers while men tend to be more out and about drinkers. Women drive less while drunk (though that’s [...]
“Fifty Shades of Grey”? Everyone else seems to be writing about this women’s erotic e-book so why shouldn’t we? Most of our clients are between 40 and 65, and two thirds are women, so sex is a frequent topic for consideration. Given that our clients are also very successful professionals who try to balance a [...]
The Benefits of Drinking. Is This An April Fools Day Joke? No, We’re Serious. One of the first things we ask clients to do is to make a cost/benefit anaylsis of their drinking. But we suggest that they skip the “costs of drinking” and the “benefits of stopping”– since these are generally obvious to everyone [...]
“How I Stopped Drowning In Drink” by Paul Carr recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal. You can click on the link to read the full article, but basically he makes, in his words, three points: “The real secret to getting sober, and to repairing all the broken aspects of your life, is to take [...]
Assessing you… Treatment facilities across the U.S. and Canada have only two assessments outcomes. You are, to them, an “alcoholic” who is either “in recovery” or “in denial”. To them there is no such thing as someone who actually doesn’t have a problem; or who is abusing alcohol, not dependent; or someone who might be [...]