I am discussing with Martin the impact addicts have on the lives around them. The partners, parents, sons, daughters and friends of addicts are drawn along too. Often forgotten victims of someone else’s emotional crisis. Emotional disturbance and the behavioural change sparked by it alters the constellation of lives. The dynamics shift and nothing is […]

A time ago in my life, I felt that the work I was doing with my then therapist had changed in such a way that I wasn’t getting the benefit from it I once had. But I continued to go to sessions because I was concerned about disappointing him. I don’t know when my sense […]

Sometimes, walking through the woods I temporarily forget where we are in the year. There’s a mist, a light touch of grey and it seems like autumn. Then I turn a corner and see the tiny crowns of yellow in the distance. Daffodils poking their heads up above the muddy ground. But that autumn feeling […]

“Why do I still feel like this?” Recovery is a tricky beast. Experiencing a sink into anxious overwhelm at a number of random experiences seemingly conspiring to pull me down I am, momentarily, back in the same place I fought so hard to escape from. Emotion spills over and I rant at my daughter sitting […]

I remember some years ago the doctor giving me a sick note for the third of fourth time and, for the third of fourth time, I tucked it into my top pocket and went back to work. Looking back on it I’m not sure what help I was expecting if I wouldn’t take her advice, […]