Ask Dr. Schwartz: Psychotherapy and Mental Health questions
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Dear Dr. Schwartz, You would never in your life meet a person that wants to live a good life and make wise decisons like my Husband does. He was raised with alcoholic parents and his Father died when he was 13, and at that time he began a life of alcohol and drug abuse. In 1991 he was at the bottom of the pit, thinking of suicide, when he accepted Jesus Christ into his life and turned away from drugs and alcohol.....what a blessing. His self loathing and ability to make right lifestyle choices are still with him \'til this day, however, and there are so many times in his life when he is paralysed with fear. He\'s introspective beyond belief and wants to make the right choices, but does not, and then has to deal with the aftermath of his poor choices. He cannot sleep at night and thoughts of unworthiness continually roll around in his head. I have a good family (but also very normal and with plenty of faults on their own) that loves him unconditionally, but he feels intimidated and embarrassed to even be around them , recently not even being able to show up for our every other year family reunion at Thanksgiving. It hurts him to hurt me and my family, but he seems stuck and it seems as if his isolation is worsening each year. He loves me and my family and blames nothing on us, accepting the total responsibility for his decisions. He has a lot of confusion and now, so do I. What kind of treatment would you deem fit for him. We desperately need your advise. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts....for any help.

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