Over the years, numerous individuals have sought my guidance in counseling, sharing that even though their alcohol use has led to serious problems, they hesitate to stop. Often, they express, "I just want to control my drinking. Can you help me manage it?"In most cases, when this question comes from someone who drinks heavily and has never been able to control their consumption, my answer is always, "No." I am open to being their therapist as they work towards this aim, but I make it clear that they must understand that if they could have managed their drinking, they would have done so by now.I then remind them of the first step in the 12-step program, which states, "1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable."This episode centers on embracing the first step of the 12-step journey to sobriety.

Having a spouse who is only ONLY cooperative can be unexpectedly irritating. It may seem strange to some—why wouldn't we appreciate a partner who is cooperative? In many respects, having a supportive spouse is certainly beneficial.

However, I’m not talking about a “supportive spouse”—when I mention someone who is simply cooperative, I mean a partner who shows no initiative. They don't contribute their own ideas or plans, and they appear to float along with whatever their spouse chooses. They may go anywhere or do anything their partner proposes, but there's a noticeable lack of personal input or excitement. They are just along for the journey.

This might indicate a person is relationally lazy.

I strongly believe that we show others how to treat us on a daily basis, whether we mean to or not. At times, it's about expressing our preferences, and at other times, it's about what we allow. Regardless, people are constantly observing what behaviors we will accept. The issue is that many individuals feel quite dissatisfied with how they are treated by others. This episode focuses on how to instruct others on how to treat you.