thought4thursday: act

love A&E’s documentary “Intervention,” which follows the daily life of an addict before an…intervention!  about 40 minutes in, i’m usually holding my breath a little, longing for the person to accept the opportunity for treatment.

i edge forward in my chair toward the end, to learn the addict’s current status, hopeful to read the words, “[name] has been sober since [date], ” so i can issue a fist pump to my living room.  raw & deep emotion is notable in every show.  it’s gripping.

what the show really documents is that ACTION activates change. when action is based on truth, it brings positive change, conversely, when based on pain, it brings negative change.  the show portrays this vividly.  it is not about tackling the emotion, it is about changing actions.

the founder of Palmetto Addiction Recovery Center echoes this when he talks about their approach to treatment saying, “If you change the way you behave, it will begin to regulate your thinking, and that will begin to regulate your feelings and you don’t need [drugs & alcohol] to regulate your feelings.”   (Dr. Douglas Cook)

think about it:  act–>think–>feel…..do you agree?