My Story - Michael Pearlman, M.D.
There is a defining moment---as subtle as a thunderbolt--- waiting to happen to anyone who desires to change their life. That personal event is so powerful that it can literally jolt us into sobriety. From that moment on, we will never again look at ourselves, our decisions, our futures, in quite the same way.
My "thunderbolt" moment occurred on December 1, 1986, the day I took my last drink. In the deepest throes of drinking, I realized that I was in control of nothing.
I drank habitually through high school and college, but it wasn't until my demanding third year in medical school that the disease threatened to ravage me completely. As the disease progressed, it took over every aspect of my life. My drinking was out of control and yet I remember the incident with stunning clarity.
My brother had just completed his Navy tour and brought me a bottle of gin. One night, having trouble falling asleep, I drank almost a quarter of the bottle and as I had the bottle to my lips, I had a realization. I was using the gin to numb myself; to shut off my mind in order to sleep. I knew there was something very wrong with this picture.
I realized that this event could not be ignored. It would, in fact, prompt me into making a life-changing decision. At the time, I didn't believe that Alcoholics Anonymous applied to me. I did, however, wisely seek psychiatric therapy, which addressed my excessive drinking as a psychological problem.
My experience in therapy convinced me to change my own medical focus to the study of psychiatry, hoping that this training would help me to better deal with my own fears, anxieties and underlying issues of alcoholism.
For the past twenty-five years I have been a board-certified psychiatrist, in private practice, specializing in the treatment of addictions and personal coaching after completing my training at Harvard Medical School's McLean Hospital.
For more than fifteen years I had been a Harvard Medical School faculty member and for seven years, the Medical Director of Addiction Programs at the Arbour Hospital in Boston. I have also served as Medical Director of ContrAl America, a program which treats alcohol craving and as Medical Director of Charles River Hospital in Wellesley, Massachusetts.
Most addictions almost always involve issues of controland the exhausting battle of striking a balance between seizing it and losing it. I did eventually embrace Alcoholics Anonymous and through its program, was able to connect with what I refer to as, "a powerful feeling of serenity and surrender."
I recall one particular incident that forced a turning point in my understanding of life and the treatment of alcoholism. I refer to it as my "Third Step Epiphany".
Early in my sobriety I had been unable to sleep and after an hour or so of tossing and turning I felt an overwhelming sense of fear and dread--- terror really, which was the usual basis for my excessive drinking, in the first place.
What was unusual was that I did not grab the bottle, but called a friend I had met at AA. He suggested that I read Chapter 5 of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous as many times as I needed to help me fall asleep. I turned to Chapter 5, "How It Works", and began reading. In the middle of the chapter I found the "Third Step Prayer":
"God, I offer myself to Thee - to build with me and do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always!"
My entire, weary body relaxed and released familiar tension, fear and dread just as I finished reading the words, 'Relieve me of the bondage of self'. I knew then that I could safely return to bed and sleep.
Me, Michael Pearlman the psychiatrist, who had spent so many years seeking to understand and heal himself, finally got it; saw it! I knew in an irrevocable epiphany that the source of my all-consuming pain and suffering was my 'bondage of self'. My 'pain body', my ego, my alcoholism dissolved, as if by some unknown grace, as I surrendered to a feeling or a life force beyond my understanding.
Powerful, defining experiences, such as this, imprint their messages differently on each of us. My "epiphany" dramatically supported my journey to continuous sobriety.
I was finally able to enjoy a full, balanced life without succumbing to the intensity and stresses related to the personal and professional components of my everyday existence.
I knew I was making progress when I was able and willing to actually talk about my experience and strive to be of service to others with control issues in their lives, as well.
I founded the FreedomFromAlcohol Method™ program in 1998, basing it on the work of David Sinclair, who originated the ContrAl program in Finland.
Both programs utilize the medication, naltrexone. Additionally, I will prescribe Campral (acamprosate), as well as other supportive medications as indicated, which can reduce alcohol cravings when taken prior to drinking.
Medications are just one part of the FreedomFromAlcohol Method™ program. My ongoing, comprehensive counseling and coaching sessions help connect my patients with the core of troublesome emotional, psycho-social issues which have prevented them from achieving happy, productive lives.
My FreedomFromAlcohol Method™ program looks beyond controlling cravings. It is a way out of self-imposed limitations; a successful recipe for personal enlightenment and final healing.
For me, the FreedomFromAlcohol Method™ is like hitting a home run. The "game plan" addresses the biological, psychosocial, spiritual components of who we are. It is a full, multi-faceted approach to individual healing. Treating alcoholism has deep personal and professional meaning for me. I developed this program to help others hit the ball out of the park, too! It is my great privilege to be able to support others to take their lives back from the painful grip of alcohol, take charge of their lives and return to freedom, health and choice!
Everyone Needs Help Sometime In Their Life, Let Me Help You Now
