dcatcohen

Avoiding Onramps to a Slip

Thinking about a slip requires intervening on our own behalf. Ever since Pavlov studied conditioned responses in rats and dogs, science has uncovered what many sensed but never articulated, we are all creatures of habit. By ringing bells with intermittent rewards or punishments, he caused his lab animals to run towards anticipated pleasures like foodContinue reading “Avoiding Onramps to a Slip”

Beating the Odds vs Giving Up

Back in the mid-80s when I was diagnosed HIV positive, the condition was considered to be 100% fatal. Within the gay community there was an overwhelming sense of panic. Many of us hid behind drug use and compulsive behavior as a smokescreen to avoid dealing with this horrible situation. Some refused to get tested andContinue reading “Beating the Odds vs Giving Up”

Talking the Talk vs Walking the Walk

Those of us who are traveling on the road to recovery are fortunate to have found new directions and purpose. However, just because we have undertaken the task of turning our lives around does not mean that our efforts will be rewarded easily or that obstacles and pitfalls will magically disappear once we have madeContinue reading “Talking the Talk vs Walking the Walk”

Gratitude vs Attitude

Having a good day often depends on which side of the bed you rise from. Starting one’s morning with an attitude of gratitude generally produces better results than approaching events with a negative bias. Launching one’s activities under a cloud of fear, anxiety, or hopelessness can become as much of a self-fulfilling prophecy as itsContinue reading “Gratitude vs Attitude”

Getting Back On The Wagon

When we are new in recovery, we attempt to resolve to give up our addictive behavior. Good intentions are a good place to start, but for most of us promises like this are easier made than kept. The road to recovery is full of speed bumps. It should come as no surprise how many ofContinue reading “Getting Back On The Wagon”

Am I A Cucumber Or A Pickle?

Many of us who have succumbed to out-of-control addictive behavior eventually hit a bottom where the pain we created overruled whatever temporary pleasure we received from our hopelessly repetitive misguided actions. We were faced with a choice whether to return for another dose of the hair of the dog that bit us or seek help. Continue reading “Am I A Cucumber Or A Pickle?”

Immediate vs Delayed Gratification

I used to get a kick when I’d see a poster hanging in front of a desk of a local print and copy store that portrayed a worker laughing hysterically at a customer “YOU WANT IT WHEN?” That must be how Higher Power feels when we seek immediate answers to our desires. The spoiled childContinue reading “Immediate vs Delayed Gratification”

Your Doctor is Just Your Mechanic

It is common for patients to regard their doctors as authority figures, especially after having received a “terminal” diagnosis. Being in a vulnerable medical state, it is easy to react to a “death sentence” proclamation as the word of God. Yet in medicine, as in any other profession, there are good and bad doctors, knowledgeableContinue reading “Your Doctor is Just Your Mechanic”

Learning To Live in The Present

In an effort to bring peace of mind to my life, in the past few years I’ve been practicing Zen meditation with a local group that meets weekly. We sit in complete silence for two 30-minute intervals and then afterwards discuss issues that arise from our experiences. Sitting on a chair or a pillow forContinue reading “Learning To Live in The Present”

Euphoric Recall Is A Trap

Many addicts find during the first few months of recovery that they begin to feel welcome relief from the desperation and depression their self-destructive lifestyle had brought them. This is no surprise because after hitting bottom, it seems the only one way to go is up. A period of sustained abstinence from what led usContinue reading “Euphoric Recall Is A Trap”