Blog Entries

How to beat the addictive cycle.

pbutkins@cfl.rr.com — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0100

In order to combat such a powerful force, we need to stay out of denial and in the war by spending time with others who are in the same position as us. Some will be fresh in the program with new battle scars; we need them as reminders. Others will be veterans, we need them for hope and inspiration and direction. Together we can survive and prosper, making this a better world, without addiction taking over. We can stop it in our generation; in this gener [...]

Different thinking.

pbutkins@cfl.rr.com — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0100

In the beginning, middle and end of our disease, i.e., all throughout, it is necessary to think in a manner consistent with successful recovery. For example, we must think that our thinking cannot keep us sober and clean. This is a starting point. Along the road, it is necessary to believe realistically about many other things. Can we do this? With humility and a continual desire to maintain abstience, we can think in a recovery-minded way about work, r [...]

Turning Point for Parents.

pbutkins@cfl.rr.com — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0100

When you know and can feel the sense that intervention makes you are no longer tied to the addiction. Your actions to free yourself from the addict is a breakthrough from bondage to freedom. This 'selfish' act also provides the addict a chance to recover. You have turned a lose-lose into a win-win. The only sensible direction is to do your duty as a parent, enforce consequences, and stand by your decision. Get approval from God and sel [...]

Vigilance.

pbutkins@cfl.rr.com — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0100

Whether your addiction is drugs, alcohol or another person, it is important to continue treatment with a continual regimen. The twelve-step meetings and program is ideal for this as it is designed for this purpose. If you will not attend these meetings, develop a daily regimen of prayer, spiritual reading, contact with healthy people and helping someone. Make your amends to those you have hurt after you are 'sober' a while, say three or four months. In the meantim [...]

Co-dependency.

pbutkins@cfl.rr.com — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:00:00 +0100

The most important thing to do about codependency is to learn about it and how you, specifically, are codependent.

Love and peace,

Doc Pete, the imperfect therapist

Do not pick up a drink or a drug today. Relapse and re-treatment are expensive in more ways than money.

Love the peace.

pbutkins@cfl.rr.com — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0100

After we have seen the hell of "using," we can see the joy of sobriety. We no longer yearn for the insanity. We are more than glad to be away from the madness of drugs and alcohol. We yearn for treatment.

Love and peac,

Doc Pete, the imperfect therapist

"Strike while the iron is hot."

pbutkins@cfl.rr.com — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0100

When someone is ready to go to a meeting, do whatever you can to assist. Get him there. Get him to treatment!

Love and peace,

Doc Pete, the imperfect therapist

P.S. No drugs or alcohol tonight.

Parent with courage.

pbutkins@cfl.rr.com — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0100

When dealing with a child who is using, get help. We cannot see our 'blind spots.' Furthermore, drugs and alcohol make the child difficult to understand and we need all the help we can get. In addition, get it from an expert. There is much inaccurate information about this problem and how to handle it. the last thing you need is more confusion. Get a licensed therapist to help you.

Love and Peace,

Doc Pete, the imperfect therapist

Sober and Separated.

pbutkins@cfl.rr.com — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0100

This is the name of our new ebook that can be purchased by calling me or off of the site: www.addictionsbookstore.net. John Hagan, BSW and I collaborated on this by combined our 70 plus years of experience with poll resulte from a population of adults and teens. This is a great 'read' as well as a great teaching tool for anyone in recovery from anything who finds themselves alone and sober.

Love and Peace,

Doc Pete, the imperfect therapist

Parents.

pbutkins@cfl.rr.com — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0100

Stay tuned on new ebook on working with a "using" (drugs and/or alcohol)child.

Love and peace,

Doc Pete, the imperfect therapist

Addicts and Alcoholics and Relapse - How you can help.

pbutkins@cfl.rr.com — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0100

There is a behavioral phenomenom that describes many addicts and alcoholics. There is a lack of discipline and inability to focus on Now along with a preoccupation with self and unconcern for others that seems to be inherent and stemming from the disease but also affected by many other variables. These include, DNA, family of origin problems, gender, lifestyle... These are difficult to identify in the individual and difficult to measure. However, when a [...]

Perservere

pbutkins@cfl.rr.com — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0100

There's a lot to be said about being undisciplined. Our program says that we are undisciplined. Are you going to take that? Show them they're wrong. Be disciplined.

Love and Peace,

Doc Pete, the imperfect therapist

Controlling what?

pbutkins@cfl.rr.com — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 05:00:00 +0100

Many times, in recovery, we try to control things that make little difference to us. We think that we need to take care of many things that either do not matter or that we cannot control. We can usually control only parts of self. My belief is that any control I have is because a Creator has given me life. This belief is what begins our sober and clean journey from drugs and alcohol.

Love and Peace,

Doc Pete, the imperfect therapist

What's most important to you?

pbutkins@cfl.rr.com — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 05:00:00 +0100

If you said recovery and spirituality and self as one important whole, then you are in good recovery. If you argue with thi thinking you are not.

Love and Peace,

Doc Pete, the imperfect therapist

P.S. No drugs or alcohol for you today!!!

Relapse

pbutkins@cfl.rr.com — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 05:00:00 +0100

The most important area of our lives can be affected by stress. Reduce stress by 'turning toward the problem.' Perservere not procrastinate. Commit not ignore. Sober and clean, not drunk and high.

Love and peace,

Doc Pete, the imperfect therapist

Today's sobriety.

pbutkins@cfl.rr.com — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 05:00:00 +0100

Have a daily ritual that is done morning, noon, and night. Your program can't survive on yesterday's prayers, good thoughts, warm friendships or actions.

Love and peace,

Doc Pete, the imperfect therapist

P.S. No drugs or alcohol for you today, ok?

Maintain sobriety.

pbutkins@cfl.rr.com — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 05:00:00 +0100

Protect your sobriety at any cost. Maintain your daily regimen as though it were ' life-saving' because it is.

Love and peace,

Doc Pete, the imperfect therapist

Simplicity.

pbutkins@cfl.rr.com — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 05:00:00 +0100

It's humbling to know that a drug and/or alcohol affected mind and body is not capable of stable and logical thinking. Yet it is necessary to have this humility in order to get sober and clean.

Love and Peace,

Doc Pete, the imperfect therapist

New Year's Resolutions.

pbutkins@cfl.rr.com — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 05:00:00 +0100

No alcohol or drugs for today. That's a lot.

Love and peace,

Doc Pete, the imperfect therapist

Successful Interventions.

pbutkins@cfl.rr.com — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 05:00:00 +0100

I received phone calls from two friends who called me after doing interventions this holiday. Both asked how to mend the damage done. When an intervention is done without being planned, it can be disastrous. The 'user' can resist the intervention for many reasons, mainly because it is done 'off the cuff.'

An effective intervention needs to be planned with commitment and follow through. There must be a script that is written, rehearsed, and modifi [...]