Panic Disorder 411
Autobiography in Five Short Chapters
Denial - The mechanism that fuels alcoholism
Denial is a defense mechanism in which a person unconsciously
rejects thoughts, feelings, needs, wishes, or external realities
that they would not be able to deal with if they got into the
conscious mind. Denial prevents a person from recognizing that he
has a problem.
The Process of Recovery
Recognition of the problem
Acceptance of the problem
Commitment to change
Action - changing behavior
Challenge to return to destructive behavior
Awareness that positive choice is essential to recovery
Portia Nelson illustrates the process of recovery simply and
beautifully in the following poem from her book, There's a
Hole in My Sidewalk.
Autobiography in Five Short Chapters
Chapter 1
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost. I am helpless. [victim]
It isn't my fault. [denial]
It takes forever to find a way out.
Chapter 2
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't believe I am in the same place.
But it isn't my fault. [denial]
It still takes a long time to get out.
Chapter 3
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there. [awareness]
I still fall in. It's a habit.
My eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault. [acceptance]
I get out immediately.
Chapter 4
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it. [action]
Chapter 5
I walk down another street. [choice]
Copyright (c) 1993, by Portia Nelson from the book There's A Hole
in My Sidewalk.