I think I can say, with some degree of certainty, that I fully understand how Candace from Phineas and Ferb feels. Her goal in life is to bust her brothers during one of their fantastic adventures. Regardless of whatever they did, though, Candace is never able to rat them out to their mom. She comes painfully close to finally revealing how dangerous Phineas and Ferb really are, but at the last second, they’re able to get away with whatever madness in which they were engaged. Candace fails to bust her brothers and always ends up feeling a bit wacko shmacko.
The thing is, I know the wacko shmacko feeling all too well. Just when I think I’ve learned something of value within the substance abuse treatment world, it disappears into the ether. It’s like I’m just about to make a breakthrough and right at the last minute, I lose it, just like Candace loses the chance to bust her bothers.
For example, I’ve been studying how anxiety and addictions are related. Over the years, I’ve become convinced that addiction is an anxiety disorder and became focused on mindfulness tactics to disrupt the anxiety-compulsive relief cycle. But just when I think I know it can work and present those tactics to a client, the certainty with which I knew they’d work disappears. It’s like I have everything in my grasp: Powerful explanations, evidence as to efficacy, and examples of the tactics. But then, the client looks at me with that same incredulous look that all addicts wear and…poof…my certainty evaporates.
Clearly, I have a lot more to learn. However, I’m sure that mindfulness tactics like breath control, exercise, and meditation/prayer can lower the heart rate thereby lowering the anxiety. When anxiety is lowered, then the need to act compulsively to relieve the anxiety reduces, as well.
But just like Candace is certain about her brothers antics yet can’t seem to bust them; I can’t seem to convince folks about the elegance and effectiveness of mindfulness. Maybe I need to yell louder. But I know that one day, both Candace and I will be successful in achieving our goals.
