Looking Forward to Senior Sober
In less than six months, I will turn sixty years old. I never dreamed that was possible in the abyss of drug and alcohol addiction.
The Myth of the High Functioning, Impaired Lawyer
“There is no such thing as a “high functioning”, impaired lawyer. There are only degrees of loss of functioning.”
Will Your Holiday Office Party Enable Problem Drinking?
It’s that time of the year again. Holiday Parties. Spiked eggnog and lampshades against the backdrop of a legal profession replete with problem drinkers. Almost two years after the groundbreaking study, alcohol is still ingrained in our culture. Booze centered conferences. Top-shelf stocked offices. At one event, I saw high-level lawyers so intoxicated, they had […]
A Lawyer’s Tragic Slide
I wonder how many looked at my friend and colleague Gary and said nothing as he struggled with addiction. I often replay the months leading up to his death like a feature-length motion picture. Summer 2013. A muggy, hot morning headed over the 100-Degree mark. Ten minutes into my drive to Starbucks. I can feel […]
The Non-Traditional Recovery
Now and then I come across an interesting story of someone in recovery doing it differently than the mainstream of Alcoholics Anonymous, residential treatment etc. I believe it is important to look outside of what makes us comfortable and the recovery road society tells us we should take. There are many different paths. Here is […]
Reflections at 11 Years Sober. Am I Still an “Alcoholic”?
About six months ago, I was in a Facebook discussion with a person who was in Alcoholics Anonymous, also known as “12-step recovery.” (I am also in 12-step) Without getting into what lead up to it, at the end of the conversation, the person, commented, “Well you must not be a real alcoholic.” I was […]
Does Every 15 Minutes Scare Kids “To Death”?
Can you be “scared straight” into sobriety?