Andrew Bevan - Voluntary Mentor
Grief and Addiction
In 1969, Elizabeth Kübler-Ross described the five stages of grief. In my experience, these also characterise aspects of confronting...
The OAD Clinic
Welcome to our blog
Andrew Bevan - Voluntary Mentor
- Oct 18
- 5 min
The Quest for Peace
All of us, presumably, would like to be at peace. Most alcoholics and drug users are restless. They can’t sit still. They’re not...
89 views
Andrew Bevan - Voluntary Mentor
- Sep 14
- 4 min
Humility on the Path to Recovery
When we hit problems in life, whatever they might be, we need first to acknowledge that we don’t have all of the answers. This is...
116 views
Andrew Bevan - Voluntary Mentor
- Aug 16
- 4 min
The Existence of a Brotherhood
In an earlier blog, we briefly commented on how Special Forces (SF) use meditation techniques as part of training and preparation (see...
89 views
Andrew Bevan - Voluntary Mentor
- Jul 12
- 4 min
Facing Up To Relapse
Relapse is an important topic in alcohol recovery treatment. It’s not inevitable but it can be a serious setback if it happens. It’s...
80 views
Andrew Bevan - Voluntary Mentor
- Jun 14
- 4 min
Suffering and the Search for Meaning
Suffering is part of what it is to be human. The “art of living” (Discourses of Epictetus, 1.15.3) is in large part how we cope with...
101 views
Andrew Bevan - Voluntary Mentor
- May 9
- 4 min
Oneself as Another
We find ourselves in others. We come to know ourselves as others know us. That is how we find our identity in relation to others. It is...
81 views
Andrew Bevan - Voluntary Mentor
- Apr 5
- 4 min
Choose Life
We hear the cry of many, and perhaps we have done it ourselves on occasion – “what is the point of it all?” We do it when we are sick,...
124 views
Andrew Bevan - Voluntary Mentor
- Mar 9
- 4 min
Living Sober Versus Not Drinking
There is a fundamental difference between not drinking and living sober. The former is tough because you focus on being deprived.
294 views
Andrew Bevan - Voluntary Mentor
- Feb 5
- 4 min
Inordinate Desire and Excessive Appetite
Alcoholics can’t stop at just the one drink. Whatever the good intentions, one drink is followed by another until oblivion is reached. It...
144 views
Andrew Bevan - Voluntary Mentor
- Dec 13, 2021
- 5 min
Reflections Ahead of the Festive Season
This time of year is especially tough for alcoholics. We need to talk about the particular problems posed and the strategies that we can...
78 views
Andrew Bevan - Voluntary Mentor
- Nov 3, 2021
- 4 min
Put Recovery to the Test? No Thanks!
Some people ask me - "how did you manage to cope and be a success in your career?" or "how did you manage to carry on with your work...
87 views
Andrew Bevan - Voluntary Mentor
- Oct 4, 2021
- 4 min
Practical Wisdom - The Path to Recovery
When I stepped into semi-retirement, I wanted to do something useful and with purpose. I said to somebody that I wanted to stop being an...
80 views
Andrew Bevan - Voluntary Mentor
- Sep 3, 2021
- 4 min
Meditation and Addiction Recovery
In an earlier blog from last year, called Be Still – Mindfulness in Lockdown, we talked about how lockdown was an opportunity to stop...
140 views
Andrew Bevan - Voluntary Mentor
- Aug 3, 2021
- 4 min
You Can't Do It On Your Own
Addiction is a contentious area. The causes and the treatments are subject to much debate. But there are two basic truths about recovery...
139 views
Andrew Bevan - Voluntary Mentor
- Jul 1, 2021
- 4 min
When Were You Really Happy?
Is an alcoholic ever really happy? When I went into psychotherapy, I was asked at some stage, "When you were younger, when were you...
131 views
Andrew Bevan - Voluntary Mentor
- Jun 2, 2021
- 4 min
Motivation, Discipline and Reward
Alcoholics and drug users find it tough to stick to a treatment programme. Motivation comes and goes. Discipline is something different....
115 views
Andrew Bevan - Voluntary Mentor
- May 4, 2021
- 3 min
Giving and Receiving in Recovery
Alcoholics and other sufferers from addictive disorders have a hard time accepting help let alone reaching out to others in a similar...
163 views
Andrew Bevan - Voluntary Mentor
- Apr 6, 2021
- 4 min
Confession and Memory - Write it Down
I’m an alcoholic in recovery. There, I’ve just said it. It wasn’t that difficult. But I’ve been saying it for many years, so I’ve got...
136 views
Andrew Bevan - Voluntary Mentor
- Mar 1, 2021
- 4 min
What Does "Rock Bottom" Mean?
Alcoholics in recovery often talk about the need to hit “rock bottom” before a commitment to treatment will have any possibility of...
147 views