Bill Brenner

A Long-Silenced Voice Speaks

by Bill Brenner January 24, 2011 Gratitude

My dear friend Joy, who readers know by now as the widow of my late friend Sean Marley, sent me a note today — a message from the distant past. Mood music: [spotify:track:2GMC1BnQle6WRstUGUs3mc] She was looking through some of Sean’s diaries and wanted to share something he wrote about me 20 years ago: “Bill is turning 20. He is such a fantastic human being. He feels so much and cares about the world and its…  [Read More]

Want Cheese With That Whine?

by Bill Brenner January 24, 2011 Communication Skills

When Sean was 3 or 4, he was grousing about something when I asked if he wanted cheese to go with his whine. “But it’s not lunchtime,” he shot back. Asked the same question a couple years later, Duncan, dumbfounded, said, “Dad, you know I’m not old enough to drink.” Smarter comments than the shit I hear from a lot of adults. Mood music: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IjXhvToGgI&fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0] This post is about whining and hypocrisy. For much of…  [Read More]

Be Good To Yourself

by Bill Brenner January 23, 2011 Coping tools

Most of us love to beat on ourselves when something goes wrong. That’s certainly true when a recovering addict relapses.  I’m fine now, but I’ve crashed and burned this way many times before. I’ve learned that the only thing I can do is get back on the horse and ride on, even if I end up falling off a few more times. I either get back up or die. And unless God has other plans,…  [Read More]

Leaders vs. Followers: Words of Wisdom

by Bill Brenner January 23, 2011 Communication Skills

Did a two-day professional training program at Babson College last week, presented by HR staff at IDG Professional. One of the first things we did was look at quotes taped to the walls around the room, and stood next to those we felt applied most to us. Mood music: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwwODpo7Sjg&fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0] The quotes are mainly about leadership, but they’re also good food for thought for anyone struggling to overcome their demons. They also make a nice…  [Read More]

Do TV Shows About OCD Make Me Angry?

by Bill Brenner January 22, 2011 Communication Skills

A friend asked what I think of how OCD is portrayed on TV. The answer isn’t as cut and dry as you might expect. This is actually a good time to tackle the subject, because yesterday I got the following message from someone who read my “Red Bull Blues” post: My name is Rebecca and I’m a casting producer for the TLC show “Freaky Eaters.” We’re currently looking for ADULTS ADDICTED TO ENERGY DRINKS for…  [Read More]

An OCD Exercise

by Bill Brenner January 22, 2011 OCD

I’m hearing there might be another snowstorm next week, with the timing dangerously close to my planned departure for the ShmooCon security conference. Let’s see if I can turn this into a positive. Mood music: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZyVZFJGX5g&fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0] See, I used to freak out every time I heard a snowstorm was coming. I’d immediately start raging about the plans that were going to get ruined and the work I was going to miss. Not that I ever…  [Read More]

When Hurt No Longer Helps

by Bill Brenner January 21, 2011 Fear and anxiety

I was going to continue my tirade about people in AA and OA who take the program too far, but I find myself thinking about friends who are hurting. It’s the kind of hurt that’s justified. But after awhile, it stops being helpful. Mood music: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o22eIJDtKho&fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0] Hurt can be a helpful thing at the beginning of a traumatic experience. In a whacked sort of way, it’s a survival tool. If you’ve lost someone or your…  [Read More]

Learning To Be A Kid Again

by Bill Brenner January 20, 2011 Mental health

At a professional training workshop yesterday, the speakers had tons of good advice for being a good leader, but one item in particular hit me where I live: The suggestion that we act more like kids. Mood music: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RZXaoaK8NI&fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0] I’ve struggled mightily with that one over the years. As an OCD head case and addict, I often got confused on what it meant to be an adult vs. being a kid. Being a kid meant…  [Read More]

Need More Proof It’s an Addiction?

by Bill Brenner January 19, 2011 Addiction

My new hero is a fellow Bostonian, Michael Prager. I mentioned him briefly yesterday as proof of what I’ve been writing here for the last year — that addictive behavior can latch onto food in destructive ways. Long before I realized I could only beat my addiction if I started treating it as such, and long before I started this blog, Prager was well on the road to recovery I now find myself on. There’s a…  [Read More]

Thinking is Not a Tool

by Bill Brenner January 19, 2011 Mental disorders

People like me who are recovering from addiction and an underlying mental disorder rely on a set of tools to live better, more useful lives. A food plan is one of them. Twelve-step meetings are another. Some people think thinking is a tool, but it’s really just another insidious bastard that robs us of sanity. Overthinking is something I have experience with. One of the most painful parts of OCD out of control is that…  [Read More]

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →