A recent client wrote to say….
“Sometimes One Just Can’t Do It Alone”

“As a self driven individual, all my life I have been able to get things done on my own initiative, never really needing the guidance or support of others.

– I quit smoking one day and started running the next day in the mid 70s
– I have worked-out almost everyday for the last 37 years
– I left other bad habits from the 70’s behind midway into the 80’s
– I started my successful consulting business in the early 90’s
 
Drinking had always been a part of my life – socially and in business, to celebrate, or simply to party, and at times would get a bit out of control; and when this happened, I was able to slow down or even quit for periods of time.
 
I did attempt AA a few times but could not identify or relate with the others attendees and the whole 12 step process of their meetings. Once I tried one of those “retreats” , but upon arrival when they treated me like an addict, I decided that was not for me and left within less than 6 hours.

But as of a few years ago, the drinking began to progress and escalate, and to such a point that a few months ago I realized it was out of control.
 
When researching alternatives on the web I found the Non 12 Step program of Dr. Ed Wilson & Dr. Mary Ellen Barnes along with two other programs – a local 5 – 6 week outpatient program and another at an expensive 30 day inpatient retreat.
 
I called them all up to find out more and after speaking with Dr. Wilson on a Saturday, decided on Sunday to make the trip out to visit them the next day (Monday) after Dr. Wilson & Dr. Barnes were flexible enough to accommodated their schedule to meet mine even though it meant breaking up the 5-day session into two periods – first 3 days one week followed by 2 days the following week.

Not only was I grateful for their understanding of my need for urgency, but the fact that I could stay at a hotel, have free time and basically live a normal “Traveling” life, was very appealing and ultimately most rewarding.
 
The daily 3 hour sessions seemed to go by very quickly and were actually enjoyable; and the “homework” every night kept me focused. But what in my opinion made their program most successful for me, was their ability to make me step out of my shoes and look at myself objectively – at my life and of course at my drinking.
 
It made me realize that I was drinking so much because there was something else going on that was very wrong….and the drinking had become a severe symptom of that other malady.
 
And I believe that their ability to do this stems from their professional backgrounds, the fact that they developed their program based on years of experience with patients (including relatives or others close to them), their sincere desire to help, and also because they are real people who can identify what kind of person the patient really is.

Today I am again focused, re-energized, my drinking is under control and I have the same positive outlook on life as I always used to have.
 
Many thanks Ed and Mary Ellen for helping me get my life back on track.”

Wow!

Last week’s Newsletter apparently hit some triggers and more calls and e-mails came in than usual – a lot more.

The result?

Most of October and part of November is already booked!

But there are still slots available, of course, and we can always work with you and your scheduling needs as we did the man who wrote the above review.

Interestingly, more people than usual do seem interested in fixing the problem before the holidays this year.

Really, for most of us, that makes sense. Why screw up yet another series of holidays?

If you think this year will be different remember Einstein’s dictum that “doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity.”

So what are you doing differently this year in order to get a different result?

Many of you have decided to let us work with you to establish some new “holiday traditions” that don’t involve anger, disasters, memory loss, or memories we wish we could lose.