I sometimes introduce myself as YodaNinja. "Yoda on the outside, Ninja on the inside." Outside, I seem calm and composed. When I speak (or write), what I say can be profound, perplexing... or both. But my inner world is another story. Deep inside of me is a Ninja battleground where thoughts, emotions, ideas, and utter randomness all fight for my attention. Every once in a while, they actually cooperate and I have to say, I'm deadly. But then they go at it again... and "Everybody is Kung Fu fighting." I'm a dad, a husband and a guy whose mind has a mind of it's own. My recovery from my addiction to numbing myself (with pretty much anything I can get my hands on) is a lifelong journey. I live with depression, anxiety and adhd... and sometimes they don't get along very well with my family, or with the rest of my life. Professionaly, I make my living as a Counselling Therapist in Edmonton, Canada. I teach on addiction and psychopathology at City University, and I have a small counselling practice where I use superheroes and other geeky stuff to help people make peace with their own personal YodaNinja. This blog is part of my healing and writing keeps me grounded. I hope that something I have written may add a little bit to your journey. Keep it Real
Doing the same thing today will bring the same thing tomorrow. If you want to be different tomorrow, you will have to begin today. How have you changed lately? I change my clothes every day, but that does not do anything to alter my permanent identity. Making small daily changes may not really change you. … More Be a Small Change Ninja
Pills have their place and can be of enormous benefit when we need them, but “A pill is not a skill.” Kolb & Whishaw, 2014, p. 602. Intro to brain & Behaviour. NY: Worth Publishing.
I love pets as long as they are your pets. Growing up, my family owned so many pets that neighbors called our home the Swaby Zoo. I have great memories with pets: being licked, slobbered on, hair on my socks, seeing/smelling/cleaning pet poop, smelling dog breath. Great memories. Now that I have my own home I … More Pet-trified???
A life well lived is the best recovery program.
According to Dr. Allen Frances there are over 40 different definitions of mental health. Most definitions have the goal of defining what it means to be well and when we are sliding into mental illness. The idea among professionals is that if we have a good definition that will help with understanding and treating a … More The Wealth in your Mental Health
Rather than send a long post on Thursday this week, I am breaking my weekly post into smaller dailies. A few minutes of inspiration. I am not a doctor or fitness trainer. I am only discussing what worked for me. What works for me may not work for you. However, if you are trying to … More Stop Losing Weight and Start Gaining a Life – Part 3
Rather than send a long post on Thursday this week, I am breaking my weekly post into smaller dailies. Easier to read, one thought that will take a few minutes to read. I am not a doctor or fitness trainer. I am only discussing what worked for me. What works for me may not work … More Stop Losing Weight and Start Gaining a Life 2
“The story of the human race is the story of people selling themselves too short.” Abraham Maslow as quoted by Tom Venuto, P 99, The Body Fat Solution.
“I eat my vitamins every day, it’s called a steak” Robert Duvall in Kicking and Sceaming Did you eat your vitamins today? I eat my vitamins every day but it took me about a year to get into the habit. Four years later I rarely miss eating them. Getting my kids to eat their vitamins … More Daily vitamins?
Elvis Presley. You may remember him: Studs, Las Vegas, Jail House Rock. In his day, he was the King of Rock. My father loved Elvis and would play the White Christmas record over and over until I thought I lived in a department store. Elvis is the King of just enough wisdom that it sticks. … More My Elvis habit
Getting High on Recovery 