The Clear Horizon

From oblivion of alcoholism into the light of sobriety

mental-health

  • After half a year of cutting back and sobriety – Am I bulletproof yet?

    The longer I work on my sobriety, the more loose ends come up of which I sometimes have the feeling that it all is either too much to work on, or that it is too much I think I need to do to have a successful recovery. But is all that really necessary? A two… Read more

  • Being strict with sobriety but not with other addictive behaviour

    Something that has been on my mind for a while now is the question why it seems to be no bigger issue for me to deal with other habit loops and/or addictive behavior in a moderate and sensible way while with alcohol I can’t. I won’t get into too much detail for toxic habits and/or… Read more

  • Toxic Self optimization – why it contributes to bad self esteem

    It seems I am coming back to a lot of aspects I touched upon before. I am sorry if that feels erratic, but I feel the need to share my reflection on toxic self optimization once again. All the good advice and lifestyle books come with very good ideas, but they come with a couple… Read more

  • Music and the Savage Drooling Beast – Or so…

    Here goes the drooling dog again. Let’s speak a little bit about conditioning ourselves and using the power of reframing music for the good cause. To be less cryptic: I talked about the effect of music on my emotional state. That is nothing new and, in itself, there is nothing to add to. But what… Read more

  • 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

  • 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