cocaineaddictionrecovery

[a007wizard]

please define the term grandiose thinking

[Tksbussong]

Oops!  

Also, he seems to have avoidance issues with confrontations.  Possible anxiety issues.  Can't get my mind around anxiety either.

[Tksbussong]

Sorry to bother you but I had a question or two and thought you may be able to help.  

Recently when to a vocational school for the past 8 months.  There is an instructor there that is actually the BEST teacher the school has.  After my first 3 weeks, he did not return.  Just up and "kinda quit".  No one would say why.  Rumors began about him being institutionalized, drug rehab, etc.  After an additional few weeks, he returned but only as a part time instructor.  

Since the first day, we had grown close somewhat quickly and I went to bat for him time and time again.  I asked him straight forward if he did drugs and he never answered me, somewhat glazed over the question.  I have found out that he does coke as well as several other uppers.  He used to write me the BEST emails and texts but rarely called.   Very heartfelt.  I feel like he lied since I went to bat for him so many times and I feel that he makes pretty severe errors.  I've never had any interactions with substance abusers before so I'm not sure of the proper way to handle this.  Normally, I would turn tail because I'm not the comforting type.  But it seems like EVERYONE has done that to him.  But now he wont' answer any of my forms of communications.

Suggestions?

[Intrigue]

Wizard -- since your subject deals with cocaine addiction, I'd like to answer your question from an addiction counselor's perspective if I may.  When clients first enter treatment, their life is usually falling apart and they are at bottom.  During this time, they are usually humbled, broken, depressed, remorseful, helpless and hopeless.  However, once they have some sobriety under their belt, arrogance and grandiose thinking are the two character defects that first raise their head.  Addicts return to their belief that they can run their own life, they don't need anyone else, 12-Steps programs and treatment counselors are useless, they can stay clean all by themselves this time, and they definitely don't need God...because they are god in the sense that they alone are powerful enough to overcome their addiction.  In terms of addiction, THAT is grandiose thinking.  It's also the kind of thinking that leads to relapse and, eventually, death.  Hope this helps.

Intrigue

[caregiver222]

Think about Osama Bin Laden. There's your perfect example.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

Grandiose thinking is when you become extremely unrealistic about your own powers, competency and capacity to create or do things that others can't do or seem far fetched.  It is a way of puffing yourself up to compensate for a poor sense of self esteem.