MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'epiphanies'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:49:11 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5036274&cid=t_113246_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F17%2Funwasted-an-interview-with-sacha-scoblic-on-the-sober-life%2F As a recovering drunk myself, I was especially interested in the new memoir, Unwasted: My Lush Sobriety by Sacha Z. Scoblic, a writer in Washington, DC, and a contributing editor to The New Republic. I thought I’d ask her more about what she thinks about life without booze. 1. If you knew all that you do today, what would you have done differently your first year of sobriety? Sacha: The first year of sobriety is riddled with basic epiphanies most adults have sooner than do addicts (like: Paying bills is not optional and I don’t have to drink just because it’s Arbor Day) as well as turbulent emotions rising to the surface after years of self-medication through alcohol, drugs, and denial. And then there’s this feeling that no one understands your loss, cravings, or anxieties, bec... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5036274 Sun, 17 Jul 2011 16:42:51 +0100 5036274 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592663&cid=t_113246_140_f&fid=35443&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheSplinteredMind%2F%7E3%2FAwcHIg9Dsn4%2Fdistracted-how-adhd-almost-kicked-my.html As I wrote before in "Writing and Succeeding Despite My Brain", I planned on writing about how ADHD & Distraction played a part in my writing goals over the year. Then I got distracted. 3. Distractions: Interesting things all around are as kryptonite to the ADHD mind. In hindsight, my focus on finishing a novel or three by my 44th birthday was a highly motivating factor that helped stave off most distractions. I didn't suddenly decide to become a lion tamer, or become convinced that I needed to create a network of blogs about SciFi TV with affiliate links to Amazon to roll in the scores of pennies that were bound to come my way. I said "no" to many new projects and stayed focused. However, my progress wasn't very impressive. I've covered here numerous times since August how I wrote myse... The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592663 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 21:15:27 +0100 4592663 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4152279&cid=t_113246_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2F10-things-known-about-addiction%2F . If you were asked: ‘What are the most important things we know about addiction?’ what would you say? This paper brings together a body of knowledge across multiple domains and arranged as a list of 10 things known about addiction, as a response to such a question. Editors note; These things apply equally to addiction, alcoholism, compulsive gambling, co-dependency and all such afflictions. The 10 things are: addiction is fundamentally about compulsive behaviour; compulsive drug seeking is initiated outside of consciousness; addiction is about 50% heritable and complexity abounds; most people with addictions who present for help have other psychiatric problems as well; addiction is a chronic relapsing disorder in the majority of people who present for help; different psychoth... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4152279 Mon, 08 Nov 2010 16:58:03 +0100 4152279 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3999266&cid=t_113246_140_f&fid=35443&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheSplinteredMind%2F%7E3%2FwZ6BtE2x_u0%2Fdang-it-depression-has-hold-of-me-again.html Last week I went through a bit of a funk after a negative review came in. I did this last January as well. Now, I have to ask myself: Why on earth am I pursuing a process filled with a steep learning curve, a tall unscalable wall of rejection, and more disappointments than a new TV season, if I suffer from Depression? Am I going to have to call the Samaritans Hotline every time I get a rejection in the mail? Am I made of tasty but frangible pizzelle cookies? (Is that reference too abstruse? I just learned the name of my favorite Italian cookie, and I had to work it in somewhere (Is "abstruse" too obscure? I just discovered that word, and I had to work it in somewhere as well.)) I shouldn't need to surround myself with family members and gaze upon unicorns and rainbows for buoyancy before... The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3999266 Thu, 23 Sep 2010 20:00:02 +0100 3999266 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3942997&cid=t_113246_140_f&fid=35443&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheSplinteredMind%2F%7E3%2FSwLTZk1Joto%2Fbehold-i-write-with-words-and-such.html So what have I been doing since August 31st? I've been thinking a lot about what worked and what didn't work for me with my last gig. ADHD occasionally wreaked havoc. Depression reared its mangy head from time to time, but over all my insomnia, health, and tic disorder where the most debilitating. I couldn't do anything about the tic disorder, but I could do something about the other two.  For the past three weeks I've been on a diet of discarded sunflower seeds and distilled water. Yummy! OK, I'm kidding. For the past three weeks I've been following the Forever Fit plan, and I've lost about 16lbs. My goal is to get down to 225lbs by the end of September—only 9.4lbs away. Already I am healthier. I biked 30 miles last week and I'm eating better. In fact, one interesting side-effect of ... The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3942997 Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:00:05 +0100 3942997 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3724575&cid=t_113246_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FttkiulAK9WY%2F Epiphanies: Slowly Building Up Life Skills In Addiction Recovery Erin has posted a wonderful experience of a spiritual awakening – the epiphany type – an educational spiritual awakening is happening for her. And, epiphanies remove the mask of denial whether it be for alcoholism, addiction or co-dependency. Erin said; So I’ve talked, almost a sickening amount, about how active addiction keeps us from developing life skills. But what I really haven’t discussed is how being in addiction recovery makes building up life skills possible. There I am driving down the road. I should be concentrating on, oh I don’t know… driving. But I’m not. I’m thinking about what it would take for my husband, my son and myself to be able to move out of where we live now. This train of thought s... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3724575 Sun, 04 Jul 2010 18:35:56 +0100 3724575 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3691087&cid=t_113246_140_f&fid=35443&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheSplinteredMind%2F%7E3%2FC7YtPd-4YFo%2Fgetting-back-up-in-saddle.html As I sit here typing, the sun is setting—leaving golden hues on the tallest buildings. The sky is a gorgeous blue with streaks of white and purple-gray clouds. Two contrails leave a white scar in the air like a badly formed, backwards "Y". I notice all this and still my brain has not returned to me. First, the StormYesterday was a neurological nightmare, made worse by my ogre-like personality which was stoked by the electrical storm in my mind. I fell asleep around 11:30pm, early for me these days, and slept for four hours. Later I napped for two. Somehow this was enough to recharge my mind and give me enough presence to zip around town like a hummingbird on wheels. Even with the AC on full blast my brain still cooked due to our right passenger window being stuck open. My mind doesn't f... The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3691087 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 08:06:57 +0100 3691087 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3307076&cid=t_113246_140_f&fid=35443&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheSplinteredMind%2F%7E3%2FwDbqHvVcW-c%2Ffacing-fear-with-pencil-in-hand-adhd-in.html On September 21st, I took part in my very first Sketchcrawl. Since no one was putting a meet together here in Salt Lake City, I thought I'd try my hand at it. I set the place and set the time, then I went there even though I knew my daughters and I were likely to be the only ones attending.You have no idea how hard it was for me to do that. I've been lurking on the Sketchcrawl site for three years and never attended a single event. I was too petrified to draw in front of people. I knew my work would be terrible.I've never been able to draw in front of people. Figure Drawing class at MassArt was a disaster. If I was drawing en plein air, all drawing would come to a stop as soon as somebody came around the corner. Heaven help me if they actually walked over to look at what I was doing. I gav... The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3307076 Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:35:54 +0100 3307076 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3216825&cid=t_113246_140_f&fid=35443&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheSplinteredMind%2F%7E3%2FhKlAX2AOQHk%2Fwill-ipad-make-me-better-writer.html Over at HealthyPlace.com I wrote this morning about how ADHD tastes to me. If you've followed my blog here you'll know that social gaffes and I tend to go hand in hand. The gaffe I reference in that article was perhaps mild compared to past mistakes, but certainly not anything to dismiss lightly—though I do my best.While it is true that my blogging over at HealthyPlace.com has been going well, something I feared might happen is very much indeed happening: I'm not writing my books; I'm just blogging. There are two solutions. One is to quit blogging over at HealthyPlace.com, but I can't emphasize enough how distasteful that solution is. This is an opportunity for growth for me. I can step up to the next level if I master this transition in my life. The other solution is simply to write fas... The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3216825 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 04:11:32 +0100 3216825 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2954776&cid=t_113246_140_f&fid=35443&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheSplinteredMind%2F%7E3%2FrOaxoCeSBnU%2Fputting-spotlight-on-seasonal-affective.html Almost exactly one year ago I made a discovery: I suffered from Winter Depression, otherwise known as Seasonal Affective Disorder. As I detailed in “I Wondered What Was Happening”, I had been on the lookout for a change in my behavior once Autumn rolled in. Then I forgot about it. (Ah, blessed ADHD) When Daylight Savings Time began I had a rocky week. Most of us do. The shift in our sleep schedule is like experiencing jet lag without all the exotic scenery. At first. I thought I was just having a hard time adjusting as usual, but by the end of the first week I remembered what I was supposed to be on the lookout for: Winter Depression. I was moping, moody, miserable, morbidly sad…and all for no reason that I could think of. The only thing that made sense was that I was sensitive to t... The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2954776 Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0100 2954776 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2591683&cid=t_113246_140_f&fid=35443&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheSplinteredMind%2F%7E3%2Fa9oexW7J9ro%2Fspare-sponge-spoil-child.html This article was originally published at dadomatic.com.I have a seven year old with learning disabilities. She’s a cute kid, and I love her tons, but she has a small problem that challenges me on a daily basis: She’s mentally a five year old with the reach and appetite of a seven year old. Case in point, I have sugar cubes I like to add to my tea. No matter where I store them, she’ll invariably find them and eat them—every single one. At this point, I may never drink tea again. It’s quite difficult to get out the ladder and climb to the eaves where I’m currently hiding them. Yesterday, she was on the prowl for some cookies my wife had picked up. When I told my girl that not only had I hid the cookies, but that she couldn’t have them until after dinner, I was met with a classi... The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2591683 Sat, 11 Jul 2009 01:00:01 +0100 2591683 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=551978&cid=t_113246_140_f&fid=35443&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesplinteredmind.blogspot.com%2F2006%2F11%2Fepiphany-so-big-its-elepiphanty.html For some time I have referred to an epiphany I had last Spring. It was as transformative to my thought processes as I could have prayed for, and although I have not been free to implement the changes as rapidly as I would have liked, I still have steadily worked to alter my life in the new direction. It was such a stunning realization that I labeled it an "Elepiphanty". I assure you that it is far better than that tortured pun.I had hoped to write about the epiphany here in this blog, but I never seemed to find the time to commit to a long writing session. Truth be told, I was bored thinking about re-contemplating my navel after I had already done so already. I was more interested in new ideas and new epiphanies than explaining anew old ones. This doesn't mean I have put the epiphany out o... The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=551978 Tue, 21 Nov 2006 12:34:00 +0100 551978