Are You Addicted to Chaos?

You say you want peace. You say you want sobriety. You say you want a happy marriage. But every time things get too quiet, you set your own house on fire just to remember what the smoke smells like.

I’m Michael. I’m a psychologist in training, a sober dad, and today I am probably going to hurt your feelings. But if I don't, I'm not doing my job.

If you've been following the channel, you know I am a recovered alcoholic. But the insidious thing about recovery is this: Sobriety isn't just putting down the bottle. It is staying away from the vibe of the bottle. And for a lot of us, the vibe of the bottle is absolute, unadulterated chaos.

A few weeks ago, I was making espresso on a Saturday morning. The West Texas sun was shining, Skylar was in the other room, and my son was playing quietly. Bills were paid. Nobody was sick. It was a perfectly beautiful morning.

Suddenly, my chest tightened up. I felt this venomous itch to find a problem. To check my bank account for a charge that didn't belong. To pick a fight over how the dishwasher was loaded.

Why? Because when you have spent over a decade wiring your brain for disaster, peace feels like a threat.

It's time to stop the self-sabotage.