I became the Nancy Drew of my own neuroses, desperately hunting for clues about what was "wrong" with me. Like a spiritual hypochondriac, I diagnosed myself with everything from "ancestral wounds" to "money blocks" to "inner child trauma" to “low self worth.” I grew convinced that if I excavated myself enough, I would find the missing link that was... See more

Perhaps a better metaphor would be a spouse facing illness and refusing treatment, the anger that could bring. Even so, I want to believe I did alcoholism to myself. It flatters my independence, no matter how much damage I did.