The Clear Horizon

From oblivion of alcoholism into the light of sobriety

mental-health

  • Do we have a choice where we don’t have a choice?

    It’s a question of training, mindset and perspective, I guess. Given a situation that is truly mind-blowing, fatal or leaves no choice otherwise, it will be difficult to find a possibility of choice. I think, as long as you find a space to maneuver or find a little headspace, though, there can always be a… Read more

  • Trying to escape the maelstrom. Why detachment is an important Concept

    What’s the biggest threat for a social worker or other persons working in a likewise business? Bingo. Emotional entanglement. This has been one of my nemeses (is that a plural?) ever since: Getting emotionally entangled when other people suffer or have hard time in an emotional sense. Yes, I have nonetheless, or rather, because of… Read more

  • Anxiety, ADHD, alcohol, the prefrontal cortex, learning and the lizard Mode

    Are you familiar with the lizard mode? It is a concept introduced by one of my anti-aggression-coaches. No, not because I was aggressive, but it was a seminar about how to deal with aggressive behavior in youths. It is basically saying that once you are emotionally activated in such a way that all your rationale… Read more

  • Is catastrophising anxiety hyperfocus?

    Yes – and no. Catastrophising itself is not like a hyperfocus (to me). But what results as a means to counter or stop the vicious circle of catastrophic whirlwinds in my head is quite like it. Let me explain. Working with clients that suffer from either an addiction or a compulsive disorder/panic attacks/anxiety disorder or… Read more

  • Next up: Impulse Control

    Ah, yes. Impulse control. One of the functions that I can rely on worst in my neurodivergence. There are a lot of issues where this is a severe obstacle in my daily life and routines. And most of it is due to the lack of dopamine and noradrenaline when you mist need it. Then overwhelm… Read more

  • What if (a) I had no ADHD, (b) could rid myself of symptoms or (c) never had known about it?

    Long question, short answers? Possibly, since I want to start writing on a daily basis again. Not to build up reach, but to better sort out my ADHD and the correlation with substance abuse. So, let’s get into it. (a) Well, this one is obviously the most hard to answer and theoretical question at first… Read more

  • Figuring out motivation depletion and what helps – a deep dive (Kind of).

    I think I had been on this path earlier. But I also have written earlier, that I sometimes take up loose ends and closed cases, because the actual need may come to it or I have new insights. And since my ADHD brain is too impatient to roam through all my old posts, this is… Read more

  • Not healed yet

    It seems as if the summer season acts as some sort of filter or reset for certain habits, needs and routines in my life. If I have the same in winter, when the year closes, I don’t know. I think so, but the big filter is summer season. I guess it’s the rhythm that has… Read more

  • Immersive Reading (or listening) experience

    Literature and philosophy in itself bear a lot of power to change. Likewise does exercising. Interestingly, I found a very immersive way of incorporating one way with the other to really get a full bodily appreciation of read passages from an audio book. The reason this is so meaningful is that the insights and memories… Read more

  • Personal suffering boundaries and other people‘s advice

    Sometimes things are harder to endure than in other times. My personal suffering boundaries depend a lot on overwhelming and stressful life situations and lack of motivation, that’s for sure. In different modes and moods, I tend to react differently to things that are bugging me and stressing me out up to the point of… Read more