Bill Brenner

The Liar’s Disease

by Bill Brenner January 27, 2010 Addiction

Truth: People who engage in addictive behavior lie all the time. Mood music: You might remember a few years back when the author James Frey wrote  A Million Little Pieces; his memoir on life as a 23-year-old alcoholic and drug abuser and his rehab in a Twelve-step program. The credibility of the book was eventually ripped apart after it came to light that a lot of the book was fiction. You might remember how Oprah…  [Read More]

Understanding Mental Disorders: The Brain as an Engine

by Bill Brenner January 26, 2010 Addiction

I’ve written a lot about my use of Prozac as just one of many tools to treat my OCD. [See The Bad Pill Kept Me From The Good Pill] Mood music: As a result I’ve gotten a fair amount of questions about the true value of anti-depressants. I’m not a doctor, so don’t take my perspective as Gospel. Also remember there’s no one-size-fits-all solution here. What I write here is based on my own personal…  [Read More]

Regulating Addictive Food: A Lesson in Futility

by Bill Brenner January 25, 2010 Addiction

As an obsessive-compulsive binge eater, the author feels it’s only proper that he (cough) weigh in (cough) on the notion that regulating junk food might help. Here’s why the answer is probably not. Since I know what it’s like to be deep in the muck of a binge-eating addiction, my wife thought I might find interest in an article from The Environment Report suggesting that the regulation of foods that are bad for you —…  [Read More]

Rat in the Church Pew

by Bill Brenner January 24, 2010 Faith

The author has written much about his Faith as a key to overcoming mental illness. But as this post illustrates, he still has a long way to go in his spiritual development. The scene is the parking lot of All Saints Parish, just after today’s 9:30 Mass. Father Mike Harvey greets the Brenners and the conversation somehow turns to the kids listening to their mother and father. Father Harvey: Remember kids, if your mother asks…  [Read More]

Serious Films I Can’t Take Seriously

by Bill Brenner January 23, 2010 Lighthearted

Part 2 of the author’s list of serious songs/films that are meant to be serious but only succeed in making him laugh. Yesterday I went on for a bit about songs that were meant to be serious that instead tickle my dark sense of humor. Today, I share some films that have the same impact on me. What does all this have to do with managing my mental illness? As I’ve said, humor is an…  [Read More]

Serious Songs I Can’t Take Seriously

by Bill Brenner January 22, 2010 Lighthearted

For some reason, the author always seems to get the most comic relief from things that are supposed to be serious. I’ve spent a lot of time in this blog talking about music and humor as therapy. Today, I share some more favorites. The thing is, everything I’m about to share isn’t meant to be funny. But for someone with a dark sense of humor, these things offer true levity. Seriously. Poison: “Every Rose Has…  [Read More]

Lessons From Dad

by Bill Brenner January 21, 2010 Family

I wrote this in 2010, not long after starting this blog. Since then, Dad has had a series of strokes and has trouble walking, seeing and swallowing. His refusal to let it break his spirit reinforces my appreciation for him all the more. Thanks for the inspiration, Dad. The author has learned some surprising lessons from Dad on how to control one’s mental demons. My father is on my mind this morning. I’m meeting up…  [Read More]

Have Fun With Your Therapist (A.K.A.: The Shrink Stigma)

by Bill Brenner January 20, 2010 Addiction

Mental-illness sufferers often avoid therapists because the stigma around these “shrinks” is as thick as that of the disease. The author is here to explain why you shouldn’t fear them. Mood music for this post: “Just Another Psycho” by Motley Crue: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko23M-4AAbg&hl=en_US&fs=1&] It’s a funny thing when I talk to people suffering from depression, addiction and other troubles of the mind. Folks seem more comfortable about the idea of pills than in seeing a therapist….  [Read More]

Courage in the Crosshairs

by Bill Brenner January 19, 2010 Courage

The author has been thinking a lot about courage lately. Some have told him it takes courage to write about his OCD battles. He thinks it’s more about being tired of running. Over the weekend, I got this e-mail from an associate in the IT security industry I write about for a living: “I’ve been reading your OCD diaries lately. This is perhaps one of the most courageous blogs on the planet and the work…  [Read More]

The Politics of OCD Management

by Bill Brenner January 18, 2010 Political discourse

The author finds an unlikely tool for OCD management in politics. Specifically, watching liberal and conservative friends fight over the subject. This isn’t a post about the politics of having OCD and getting folks at home and work to accept it. It’s about enjoyment of the political debate as a tool for sanity. Sound odd? Well, it is. But hear me out: I have a lot of friends who are bleeding-heart liberals. I have just…  [Read More]

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →