Go to You Tube and search for doc pete and you'll find 17 of my videos on addiction.

Doc Pete

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Parents need to see that they are not at fault.  This problem is mostly genetic and not caused by the environment.  Drop the guilt.  Note that only certain siblings cross the line to addiction, even though they were brought up in the same household with the same parents.  This is proof that parenting does not create addiction.

However, if there is abuse in the household, the child may find tremendous relief from intoxification.  These same children, if not geneticaly pre-disposed to addiction, will quit when the intoxication results in pain or loss.  It is not providing relief and, because they are not pre-disposed, they will not 'crave' the drug.  The drug no longer provides relief but results in problems.

Love and Peace,

Doc Pete, the imperfect therapist

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Many religious people develop addiction to drugs and alcohol.  Moral problems are caused by addiction.  All problems are possible when addiction takes over.

Love and Peace,

Doc Pete, the imperfect therapist

If you are interested in additional counseling by email or telephone

log onto http://www.docpetetheimperfecttherapist.com/

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Addiction or abuse?  That's what I wondered.  One DUI in 2004?  Continued use despite adverse consequences?

We can learn a lot from this incident.  If the first thing to "go" when a person uses marijuana is judgement and the next is inhibition, then we have a winner.    Abusers use for relief.  Therefore, is a substance is causing another problem the abuse will stop.  The relief is not coming.  The problems are getting worse.  There is another problem.  The solution is not working.  Abusers quit when there is a problem, a dui, for example.  However, an addict will continue to use because he or she cannot stop.  There is powerlessness.  There is loss of control.  An addict will look for a way out like changing drugs.

I admire Michael Phepls to no end. Ii was  so delighted to see him on late night TV talking about motivation and being so close to his mother and talking with such humility.  I believe that all of these character assets are real and honestly portrayed.  However, addiction is so surreptitious that it can exist in spite of these assets.  Many successful people were addicted and seemed to be flourishing until the problem progressed and created problems. 

The lesson for us all is that the problem of addiction is "equal opportunity."  It affects about 10 - 20 percent of our population without any care for details.  Michael, we have a program.  We love you and we can help.

Love and peace,

Docpete, the imperfect therapist

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Sometimes we only see the addiction after it stops.  Then we really see it because we crave it and can perhaps see the damge more clearly.  This is true whether the addiction is drugs, alcohol, shopping, thinking, anger, food, gambling, lust, or whatever you do to extreme excess.

Stop it before it gets that far.  There is a time when we see it before it devastates us.  Ask someone who knows addiction.

Love and peace,

Docpete, the imperfect therapist

Comment (2)

An old Tranactional Analysis [I'm OK, you're OK, {Harris (1969), Berne, 1970}] model spoke of three different positions/roles we can take and operate from.  One is PARENT.  Now the addict/alcoholic, when overconfident perhaps when s/he is not hungover or throwing up or in jail or an institution, or driving drunk or in some other sad situation, can appear to be overconfident.  This can be noticed by seeing his or her "know-it-all" attitude.  You will see him or her lecturing, teaching, being rigid and needing to be right, be forceful and aggressive re: any subject or simply dominating the conversation.  All of these are self-centered ways to control and avoid the awareness of his or her demise.

When observed, these can be accepted and changed.  Honesty is necessary to become aware and accept the PARENT (in charge) role.

Parenting is better left for sober people.  The alcoholic/addict overconfidentand teacher mode is not honest nor is it effective.  Get sober first and then learn to turn the humiliation to humility.  The energy saved can be used to be useful and love God and others.

Love and peace,

Docpete, the imperfect therapist

Comment (1)

Our thought and prayer in the morning can be, 'Put someone in my life whom I can help.'  By doing this, we can now redirect our thinking to its proper use.  Happiness does not come from getting the car or the relationship or the house or the food or the money or the clothes.  It comes from being purposeful, useful to our fellow man.  "Try it, you'll like it".  It is a solution to our self-centeredness, the problem, the curse of addiction.  When we think nothing of ourselves, we are the happiest.

Love and peace,

Docpete, the imperfect therapist

Comment (3)

Denial is usually unconscious.  It can be disguised.  However, behavior does not lie.  We can tell we are in denial when we stop doing the things that have made us successful.  Our overconfidence that kept us drunk and insanely high can return and then we think we can beat anything.  Then we lose. 

If we step into the ring with addiction, it will tell us that we can beat it.  After it knocks us down for the third time, it will tell us this again.  Then, there comes the day when we go down easily, with wobbly legs and that feeling of no control over our body.  Listen to your body.  It does not lie and can tell us when to get help.

Love and peace,

Docpete, the imperfect therapist

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