Bumper Sticker Recovery: What COULD you do if you never cared if you won?

Saturday, November 1, 2008

What COULD you do if you never cared if you won?

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About This Blog

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in, observe, provide and supervise treatment in more settings not only that I can remember, but also that I CARE to recall! I once was invited to sit in on a budding treatment center that put themselves out there as THE newest, bestest and most creative program EVER. They had accumulated a host of visiting gurus to come to enlighten the staff, the patients and the planet on a regular basis. They were absolutely well trained in their model and their staff was on top of it! After a full day of sitting in groups, individual sessions, meetings and meals, I realized that I was seeing a pattern – everybody got the same set of answers. By the end of the day, could repeat the responses that almost anyone on the property would have to almost any statement, question, or answer might arise. I left their feeling like I had perused the psychological bumper sticker rack at the Recovery Roadside Stop. I swore I would avoid Bumper Stickers like the plague.

Among other dishes I’ve added to my yet unpublished book of “Recipes for Crow – When Ya Have to Eat It, Cook It Well” are the many ones I’ve developed around that statement. I quickly learned that these psychological “Bumper Stickers” serve an important function and make my life easier. To keep my intake of eating crow down, I try to label them as such. “Here’s my bumper sticker about…..”

I don’t know if it is because I’m getting older, getting wiser, or they are tired of hearing them, but patients and staff have asked me to write these things down. My grandiose ego always fantasized about the massive, media flooded promotion tour that would follow the publishing of my wonderful book. I’ve written two handouts because I got tired of repeating the story. These handouts are among the most quoted handouts within the patient community. Maybe they have a point.

Recently, my peers who have written books and been on Oprah have resorted to their own blogs to avoid the monumental and overwhelming task of writing books planted the seed of using this medium. After a recent late night courtyard round with a group of patients, where they were not only anticipating the Bumper Stickers, but asking for more, I decided I may want to consider sharing these with more than the inside of my head and my vehicle. (The dogs quit listening years ago!)

My goal is not to write a book. In fact, I’m not sure what my goal is in the long haul. My hope, however, is to start to record for sharing the little lessons that are handed to me every day. If Life has taught me anything, it is that I have a lot to learn. Furthermore, the way I can learn more of the vicissitudes (I love that word. The Analysts LOVE it!) of each of these lessons is to continue to watch for them and to share them with others.

A WORD ABOUT NAMES AND STORIES: I learned a long time ago that I rarely catch things on the first pass. These lessons I share are the crystallization of numbers of experiences that finally helped me to understand how to put “Life” on a Bumper Sticker. I try to make them subtle enough NOT to sound just like YOUR encounter with me. I change the name, the time, the details and whatever else I can. These are not professional case studies. They are stories. They are mostly fictional, based in real experiences. If I told the “real” stories, I would have to get legal consent, have the “patient” review the writing, and have three copies that go to six attorneys and have to have the approval of the Pope. Well, something like that. If, by some chance, you find that I am telling “your story,” please let that be a reminder of how normal, human, typical and wonderful you are. If it’s a little too close to home, drop me an e-mail and I’ll remove that version and change it. Anything I write about, I have dozens of examples. The one I write just happens to be the way the Bumper Sticker resonated that day.