phenomenon – Page 3 – Dr Affie Adagio

Motivation and recovery

It doesn’t matter whether we search for recovery from addiction or any other form of emotional or mental ill health, motivation and recovery go hand in hand. Good intentions are not sufficient. How many times have we heard the afflicted person being accused of not wanting recovery otherwise they could have it. In response the addict desperately claims that they do want recovery. Motivation is vital to recovery. Usually reaching rock-bottom motivates the afflicted person to commit to recovery. They say ‘no pain no gain’. But it would certainly be great for motivation to be accessed without the pain of rock-bottom.

Getting free of the grip of addiction is like learning anything new. Practise makes perfect and then the most difficult becomes easy – it’s the same as learning to ride a bike or learning to play an instrument. Repetitive positive behaviour (recovery) replaces the repetitive negative behaviour (addiction). There is a big difference between negative addiction and positive addiction (recovery). Although one needs to be always on guard that the positive addiction does not become negative addiction. The way to avoid that is by knowing that negative addiction makes life unmanageable whereas positive addiction is the serenity in recovery.

he came to me, a sorry sight
having been in detox 27 times
coming out each time with
the promise of recovery and
freedom from the clutches of addiction
yet after a short period he busted
on alcohol and narcotics
I feared that death would find him
before recovery did
and deep down inside he felt the same
but as advised by those who know better
motivation and recovery would come when
he attended 12 Step meetings even though
there was great resistance from within
“get your bum on a seat” they said
and he did until eventually it worked
and sobriety and clean time became
his positive addiction
serenity and freedom at last
what bliss?!

Pets are therapy

It is well documented that having a pet is more than just a pastime or a fancy. Pets are therapy. People who are recovering from serious illness show more of a remarkable recovery than those who don’t have a pet. Have you wondered why? One school of thought claims that when we show love to another we heal. A pet can return unconditional love and love is the emotion that heals us. How many times have we seen people melt at the sight of an animal? How many times have we seen people be cruel to their animals and yet they put up with it. Few times an animal will react viciously, but usually that’s when they become scared. Understandably, pets are therapy when they are treated well and not abused.

I have had pets since when I was a young girl
my pets are therapy to me and have
always been a part of the family
living inside with easy access to the outside
Anna, my Siamese cat lived for 17 years
and when I could not care for her she lived with
my son’s family, coming back to me when things changed
Lolita my Chihuahua, lived 16years,
very unusual for both breeds
my Burman cats had to be relocated for more room
now, Midnight, my black cat has been
with me for 4 years and is 7
he gives me so much delight as I speak to him
and he answers
his purring is like an expensive car must
sound to a car lover
he is worth his weight in gold, as they say

Procrastination and self doubt

The moment just before we begin a task, which is causing us some anxiety, is when procrastination usually happens. Even if it is a task that we would enjoy once we begin it, there can be a major block. Once we begin, however, we wonder why we had been so bogged down. It’s usually because our expectations and our perceived abilities are in conflict. That is, there is excitement about embarking on the task and in the last minute there is doubt as to how well it can be done. Procrastination and self doubt go hand in hand. The solution is to just begin and it will all fall into place.

I got so annoyed with the block I had
as I was about to begin a project which
I had been looking forward to and
had felt confident in achieving!
then the time came and I froze
could I do it? really do it well?
how will I do it? where to begin?
why had I undertaken the job?
then I remembered that
procrastination and self doubt
go hand in hand
so I sat down and began
and as usual I experienced
such a buzz as the project
got under way!

Red Nightmare, photo by Daniel Diaz, Madrid, Spain,anxiety, deadlines

Mind Power

There is nothing supernatural about the power of the mind – it is a phenomenon which is part of being a human being. We want something more than anything else in the world – we call it a wish or a dream or a goal or an aim, whichever school of thought we belong to. Next we assess how realistic our situation is and whether what we wish for can be achieved. Even if it appears hopeless we then visualise the object of our attention and continue on with our lives. Eventually the mind power works and to our amazement things just fall into place and we get what we asked for. This is because we are primed to accept whatever is offered when opportunity knocks on the door and one thing leads to another.

where are we going Nana?
children I am taking you on a visualisation exercise
what is that Nana?
we will visit these new apartments overlooking the city
but Nana do you have that much money to buy one of these?
no darlings but I will see an apartment I like, then imagine that I
am living in it and eventually it will happen or something similar
one way or another, it has happened in the past to me and others
that is Mind Power or visualisation, you’ll see!