February 2007 - Stress Alive

You know the Id? That part of Freudian psychology that is all about me, me, me. The "I want it and I want it now" part of your personality. The part that has urges at the most inopportune times. The fart in the elevator, or the taking of the last piece of cake even though there is that pesky kid who is celebrating his birthday. The id---GIVE ME, GIVE ME, GIVE ME.

This element of our personality does not go away with maturation. It is mediated and moderated by other aspects of character in the Freudian picture of things. These things, though, the ego and the superego, are not relevant to this discussion. This is about the id--that which is driven by sheer and raw desire. That crude part of us that perpetuates the species by virtue of the pleasure principle, which in turn is driven by sex and hunger.

Ah yes, pleasure.

We all live in a socialized and civilized manner and have a desire to be nice, liked by others, and to look nice in the eyes of ourselves and others. These are social drives. Were we to give more voice to the id--what some may call the inner child--we may be less concerned about being seen as odd or even ugly by others. The id--or perhaps we may call it the beast within--cares not of such things.

So the question is this: "How different would your life look if you gave more voice to your inner beast?"

deorre

Vote

Comments (2)

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Deorre - Category: No Category

Email this Post to a Friend

Hitting Blog-Bottom: Bloggers Anonymous

February 19th 2007 12:53

In addiction and recovery circles there is a concept known as "hitting bottom." This is a very personal thing, and generally represents when an addicted individual can no longer tolerate the wreckage his or her addiction has wrought upon his or her experience. Often it means losing family, job, health, house, and whatever else may be of value.

In blog circles, this is referred to as hitting blog-bottom. You know you have reached blog-bottom when you are more focused on the blogging than on other aspects of your life that are important. For instance, I know I've reached blog-bottom when I sit and stare at the computer rather than answer the phone, join my family for a meal, or worse yet, urinate on myself so I don't have to leave the cyber-area.

Help me out here. YOU KNOW YOU HAVE REACHED BLOG-BOTTOM WHEN...fill in the blank)...

deorre

Vote

Comments (7)

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Deorre - Category: No Category

Email this Post to a Friend

Digging For Gold: The Recovery Industry

February 17th 2007 15:14

Substance use, abuse, and addiction occur for many different reasons and come in many different forms. "It feels good to feel good", some will say. Or, for others, there is nothing like a social lubricant to launch out of an overly active inhibition. Still others simply seek numbing from the stresses and strains of life as they have thus far lived. And there are the unfortunate individuals who have reached a point where their use is less about feeling good and more about staying "well". To be sure, these latter folks are the seriously addicted.

Burnout rates of those working in the recovery industry are high. It takes a bit of time and ego re-forming to come to terms and be at peace with the reality that there will be plenty of relapse and recidivism. And all that that entails.

Recovery workers must do their due diligence and remove themselves from the moralistic, political, and other opinions and positions of subterfuge so that they may assist the addicted individual with the medical calamity that they now experience. Does it really matter, for instance, that the addict made bad choices to get to where he or she is while now in the throes of obsession and psych-physical need?

I value a persons' uniqueness and potential gift they have to offer the collective. Even those poor souls who have seemingly lost themselves in the pursuit of whatever it is they think their mind-altering substance may provide.

There is gold in there somewhere.

I urge recovery workers--line staff, therapists, medical doctors, and such--to see themselves as if they are prospecting for gold. Recovery, or uncovery, or whatever else it may be called, can only lead one closer to the precious stone within. If one were to approach these individuals as if they have a jewel inside, a strength, then teaming up with that person to find the prize can only benefit all involved.

HAVE YOU FOUND YOUR GOLD?

deorre

Vote

Comments (2)

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Deorre - Category: No Category

Email this Post to a Friend

Disempowerment In The Name Of God

February 14th 2007 13:52

There is a common theme that I encounter when working with addicts and others chemically involved. While many a recovering individual rightfully accepts responsibility for his or her ‘character flaws’ and actions, rarely if ever do they accept credit for their successes. The success always goes to God, “as we understand him”.

What’s that about? Wouldn’t it be empowering to identify success as something I had a hand in? And conversely, isn’t it disempowering to only get credit for the failures

[ Click here to read more ]

Vote

Comments (9)

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Deorre - Category: No Category

Email this Post to a Friend

Evolution As We Speak

February 11th 2007 13:35

I am routinely amazed at the ease with which young children are able to use computers and other 'new-fangled' electronic devices. It is not uncommon to observe a nine year-old, for instance, quickly and accurately type data, negotiate the internet, and even problem-solve the invariable 'surfing' glitch that emerges when spending any time on the net.

Wonder kids, it seems

[ Click here to read more ]

Vote

Comments (12)

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Deorre - Category: No Category

Email this Post to a Friend

A Journey Or A Battle?

February 8th 2007 02:42

Is your life a journey to be relished and enjoyed, or a battle to fight and endure? When you wake up in the morning, is it with dread and apprehension, or delight and anticipation?

Obviously, we are discussing pessimism and optimism. It is no wonder that suicide rates are exceedingly high given the amount of people who find battle and difficulty in life. A pessimist brings no hope or belief that things will be good or at least improved to the table. In this non-thriving mode, our physiology expresses in a way consistent with the gloomy mindset, and we become increasingly susceptible to disease and malady

[ Click here to read more ]

Vote

Comments (3)

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Deorre - Category: No Category

Email this Post to a Friend

All Of Those Mistakes!

February 4th 2007 00:43

In my coaching and consulting work I don’t typically encourage clients to focus too much on mistakes, failures, and other such ‘non-positive’ events. These can distort the path that a particular individual or company has envisioned or set as an ideal or goal. “Go with strengths, and build upon them synergistically” goes the mantra. There is much value to this approach.

I have recently become involved in a project that is essentially about helping individuals take ownership of their past mistakes and “failures” such that they may learn and not repeat their past in some new-age version of the Sissiphyssian expression of fate. You know, doing the same thing over and over again, never moving beyond that particular path

[ Click here to read more ]

Vote

Comments (6)

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Deorre - Category: No Category

Email this Post to a Friend

January 2008

2 Posts

December 2007

2 Posts

November 2007