I Can Do This!

You would think that being a Doctor of Clinical Psychology would afford me special powers, stability, and constant happiness. Well, I wish. It turns out that even we professionals are still human beings and still have to deal with our own emotions. Each time I go after something different, and a bit of a stretch, I go through the same progression. Overconfidence, frustration, partially giving up, focusing on what the minimum is to accomplish the task, trying, finding some results, getting a little hope, and pushing on. This had been my struggle with school and now it is my struggle in learning French.

Foreign languages are tough to master. Unfortunately, my studies in Spanish have been getting in the way. If you haven’t been exposed to another language and then start to memorize it, dang, it hurts your brain! My mind isn’t wired to deal with such mind-benders. l wish I had my 30-year-old brain back.

So for this old dog of 65 trying to learn a new trick, it has been a long progression of listening to audiobooks, reading, flip charts, and especially walking in the forest while listening to the audiobook teacher repeat the same phrases over and over again! Alright already, on to the next phrase! And you would think I would remember it? Far from it. I still don’t know how to order food, si vous plat.

When I returned to college after my 12-year hiatus, when I went on my experimental phase in life (if you know what I mean). I took this stress management class where the teacher told us we needed to read something, at minimum, ten times before it was memorized. Coming off the substances I needed to double this, but that lecture paid off and suddenly this C student was pulling in all A’s! I have to double that again now that I am thick-headed.

And there it is. Do you see what I have to put up with, with myself? The shoulds and musts are a constant companion. Sometimes they are blaring along with my audio teacher. Still, I push on.

 

 

I think the biggest lesson I learned in school was to keep going forward. It has served me well in my business, with clients, their families, and even the licensing board of two states. Yes, I still keep active my California credentials because I worked and studied so hard for them.

Here’s an interesting story. When I first moved up to the pacific northwest from California, most of my credentials easily transferred over, but I discovered that in order for me to be the Clinical Director of my own Residential treatment facility I needed to get a Chemical Dependence license. With my facility scheduled to open in two months, I needed to study, take the test, and hope to pass, otherwise, I’d need to hire another director until this requirement was met. So I studied, and studied, and got tired of my own voice reading out the material that I highlighted from the books. Oh, I knew the material, in being in the crisis field and working at substance use facilities I had the knowledge. I just needed to learn all the terminology. Kind of like the foreign language, I am presently learning.  

So, I studied, got the test date, and traveled to the testing site, which happened to be in an airport hangar, which was really cool. I sat down for my two-hour test only after studying for 5 weeks, which the State official told me a good four months was needed. But, I finished in the allotted time and unlike California, which shows you if it was a pass or fail, I needed to find out through the mail if it was a no or go. The problem was, my facility was scheduled to open two weeks later. Talk about nail biting.

When our doors opened, I got a phone call from our representative at the Department of Health Services telling me I passed and we could officially open. How cool was that? Yep, mister last minute did it again!

My plane to Europe leaves in less than a month and I am armed with my Bon Jours and Ca Va Bein Mercy’s. I am getting better with my studying as of late and feel like I can really do this! I keep picturing myself walking into a restaurant, ordering Chicke y legumes – chicken and vegetables, and doing it with confidence and a smile.

For now, Au Revoir, a demand.

Compassionate Care is Always Available

There are many more tools and strategies you can use in your pursuit of happiness. Here is where we come in. Contact us at Basic Steps Mental Health and let us support and educate you on this journey back to your loving heart center. Imagine living a heart-centered life, regardless of what is happening externally. We’d love to be of help.

For 25 years, Dr. Scott Alpert, the clinical director of Basic Steps Mental Health, has treated over 7,000 people with mental health and addiction problems, using a Psychological approach that mixes and matches ten of the top approaches used in the industry. We are here virtually and in-person to help you get through this COVID-19 pandemic and many other difficulties you may be experiencing.

May you have good mental health.