by Colleen Kachmann | Nov 23, 2021 | Alcohol Use Disorder
Guilty Verdict Leads to Freedom I quit drinking nineteen months ago. Overcoming alcohol use disorder was both hard and easy. Living with the decision to quit felt better than living with ambivalence. I’d had lawyers arguing inside my head 24/7. They couldn’t even... 
by Colleen Kachmann | May 25, 2022 | Alcohol Use Disorder
Emotional Intelligence Vs. Common Sense Have you ever thought you had something figured out, only to later learn you had it ass-backwards? File this story under Common Sense Isn’t Common . . . I used to think that emotional intelligence is the ability to control... 
by Colleen Kachmann | May 2, 2022 | Alcohol Use Disorder
If you are hoping an extended period of sobriety will restore your ability to drink like a normal person, it’s only a matter of time before you pick up where you left off. Because you’re operating under a false narrative: that you (and the way you drink) are the... 
by Colleen Kachmann | May 2, 2022 | Alcohol Use Disorder
Internalized Oppression: My Inside Voice is a Bully Has a simple TO-DO list ever mutated into an ALL-THE-REASONS-YOU-SUCK list? Within minutes of starting my day, I was close to tears. Who am I kidding? I can’t do this! What a joke I am — pretending to be someone... 
by Colleen Kachmann | Apr 13, 2022 | Alcohol Use Disorder
Stress Drinking Almost Took Me Down As I finish my second year of sobriety, I am profoundly grateful for my survival instincts. Drinking kept me in such a fog. I was unable to think clearly or make decisions about anything significant. Somehow, I found the strength to... 
by Colleen Kachmann | Apr 13, 2022 | Alcohol Use Disorder
Self-Sabotage: Not Going Anywhere? How often do you think about something you really want? When the desire to be different surges through your body, you think THIS! Solves. Everything. You’d be so happy if only . . . But then you remember why it’s a wish instead of a... 
by Colleen Kachmann | Apr 1, 2022 | Alcohol Use Disorder
Not Drinking is Not Emotional Sobriety After years of drinking alcohol on a daily basis, my body immediately fell in love with sobriety. Within a few days, my energy and interest in life outside of my own head began to return. Within a few weeks, my skin and eyes were... 
by Colleen Kachmann | Jan 31, 2022 | Alcohol Use Disorder
Alcohol and Season Affective Disorder: The Pink Bubble Bursts Early sobriety was a welcome improvement over the daily grind of managing alcohol use disorder. I slept well, looked better and felt relieved. It was nice to have that stupid monkey off my back. But the... 
by Colleen Kachmann | Jan 21, 2022 | Alcohol Use Disorder
Chasing My Tail My relationship with dogs is like my relationship with kids. I mostly just like mine. No offense. Occasionally, an exceptional creature will nip at my heart. But in general, I’d rather see pictures of your pooch than meet in real life. I donate extra... 
by Colleen Kachmann | Jan 19, 2022 | Uncategorized
Searching for alcoholism treatment? Alcohol rehab programs are expensive. Sadly, long-term relapse rates range from 20 to 80 percent. So, you’re betting your life and your finances on the flip of a coin. Hope is not a strategy. So, if you’re not 100 percent sure that... 
by Colleen Kachmann | Jan 16, 2022 | Alcohol Use Disorder, Uncategorized
Seeking Emotional Intelligence Lots of people quit drinking. Some do it alone and others need help. Some do an immediate about-face — they wake up one day and decide they’re done. Other people cycle between periods of abstinence and attempts at moderation — searching...
