The Clear Horizon

From oblivion of alcoholism into the light of sobriety

  • Should we cry more? Cont‘d

    I finally mustered the courage to do it. So: Until next time, take one step at a time and don’t lose the faith in yourself. Read more

  • Meatless March – when good intentions get (probably) too much… Evaluating cognitive distortion

    What is cognitive distortion, to clarify things unknown first? To quote Wikipedia: “A cognitive distortion is a thought that causes a person to perceive reality inaccurately due to being exaggerated or irrational. Cognitive distortions are involved in the onset or perpetuation of psychopathological states, such as depression and anxiety.” Depression? – Check, Anxiety? – Check. Ok. So, what is this post about?… Read more

  • End of Feb reflection – When is a good intention a bad intention?

    February has ended, and the question is: how did I fate with a good intention over a month’s span? It’s interesting how a good intention that feels very sensible and motivating can become a hassle, because you think you are still motivated to fulfill the good intention but in the end, the whole idea starts… Read more

  • Podcast #1

    For those of you interested: Click on the image and it will lead you to my first Podcast episode, but only in German. Read more

  • How to tap into emotionally loaded memories – in a nutshell.

    Of course, this list is not exhaustive, because I guess there are a lot more techniques that I could use. And since I am not coaching, but only sharing my experience here, I will describe five short techniques that help me tap into the memories and emotional states I want to unlock in order to… Read more

  • The feelgood implications of Nostalgia and Drooling

    There might be a feeling arising that there is some dissonance in the picture or the imagination, that a drooling dog and a man indulging in old memories may have to do something with improving my mental health, but even though the poles may be very far apart, they have something in common. They bridge… Read more

  • Why sobriety engagement is meaningful

    My first thought was: Great, I have enough time to redirect my energy I used with drinking into something useful: Let’s find an engagement to fill the gap. Well, yes. Partly true, but only partly. In the time of the Pink Cloud, that felt pretty straightforward and it had the shine of something to dive… Read more

  • Why being nasty sometimes feels very good

    Okay. Actually, the heading is pretty click-baity, but there is a certain truth in the statement which I wanted to elaborate on a bit. The situation was that I needed to make my way through a one way and a car blocked my way and the driver talked to the passengers who just exited the… Read more

  • Art therapy against aggression and procrastination

    There are a lot of things that have crossed my mind since I have reduced or respectively omitted digital devices when I decided to go for a Handsfree February. I wondered in the beginning of the month what I would do with the spare time. It was a bit different when I stopped drinking, because… Read more

  • Authenticity, Transperency and Identity = Self esteem and resilience

    If you have a déjà vu about the topic, maybe. Sometimes there are conjunctions and connections in the path that suddenly pop up, need to be refined or deserve another look. I just realized that the connection of being authentic, transparent and when I am in line with my activities/habits and my identity, that this… Read more