The hurricane, storm, cyclone (as our cell phone alert informs us) changed our plans for the 4th of July celebration. The city even moved the fireworks to the night before. Now, we are left with what do we do now? For some of us who has friends or family in the house, we at least have company, for those who were planning to head down to the Boston Esplanade, we now need to change our plans. The feelings of disappointment, annoyance and frustration set in. However, a feeling that we rarely think about is BOREDOM. How many TV shows can you catch up on On Demand, or the feeling that we really should be doing something else? We move from one task to another, without finishing the last thing because we feel bored doing something.
“My problem is not that serious!” The reality of alcohol related disorders
I have had various patients come to my practice wondering about their alcohol intake, how far from “normal” it is, and how close to “alcoholism” has it become. They fear the idea of becoming an alcoholic, often recognizing the illness by having lived with a family member, and other times simply fearing the idea of losing control. This fear has led to avoidance, and more often than not, a minimization of the effects of alcohol on that person’s life. The questioning itself is evidence of concern, and though most times patients provide the many reasons why their “problem is not that serious!”, there is often a sense of vagueness left in the room, a feeling of unfinished business, allowing for further exploration of the motivation for remaining the same or eliciting change.