The Doctor Is In

Part 2 of a two-part series on shame and guilt.

Part 1 of a two-part series on guilt and shame.

This is a reposting of the fourth of a previous series on alcoholism and addiction.
It seemed like such a great idea at the time…
His name is Darin. Of course, that’s not his real name, but he is a casual friend of mine. A bright young man, possessed of good looks, a warm smile, and a […]

This is a reposting of the third of a series previously written on alcoholism and addiction.
“There is a solution.” So starts a chapter of the
Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous –the virtual Bible of recovery from alcoholism and the basis of virtually all 12-step recovery programs. And it works–according to the testimony of millions of recovering […]

This is a reposting of the second of a series previously written on alcoholism and addiction.
If you take the opportunity to speak with those who have survived the ordeal of addiction and alcoholism and who are in recovery, you will find a wide range of stories and experiences. When we think about those who are […]

This is a reposting of the first of a series previously written on alcoholism and addiction.
I was listening to Bill O’Reilly on the radio recently, discussing a sports figure whose career was ended by drug use. He was using it as a segue into his philosophy about drug laws, enforcement, legalization and addiction. Now, I […]

This is my call weekend.
Call weekends–where you cover for a host of other physicians, so that the fortunate many may enjoy some time off at the expense of the unfortunate SOB on call–are akin to ritual self-flagellation: long days, longer nights, countless phone calls from emergency rooms and ailing patients, most of whom you know […]

In my previous post on guilt and shame, I discussed their nature and differences, their impact on personal and social life, and their instrumentality in much of our individual unhappiness and communal dysfunction. If indeed shame is the common thread of the human condition–fraught as it is with pain, suffering, and evil–it must be mastered […]