2. Should I take medication?
3. How does medication work?
4. Inside the bipolar mind
5. Twelve Steps
6. Twelve Step Slogans and Quotes
7. What goes on in a Twelve Step Meeting?
8. What goes on in a Recovery Meeting?
9. Recommended Reading
A quick way to get in touch with one of the programs is by using the phone book. Many self-help fellowships have 24-hour hot lines for finding meeting times and locations. Often a call to AA can lead you to information about other groups. I have found that an AA answering service usually can also provide information on Al-Anon meetings because Al-Anon is often held at the same time as the AA meeting, but in a different room. Recovery, Inc. would be listed simply as Recovery, Inc. in the white pages. Rehabs and mental health facilities usually have information on all the groups in an area.
I have traveled all over the United States and have always been able to find meetings a few hours after arriving at my destination. If all else fails, the police generally know where the AA meetings are.
If you do still have difficulty locating a meeting or if you do not want to talk to anyone about this, you can contact the following:
Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters(also for ACOA) 1600 Corporate Landing Parkway Virginia Beach, VA 23454 (800) 344-2666 www.al-anon.alateen.org Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters
Alcoholic Anonymous Box 459, Grand Central Station New York, NY 10017 (212) 870-3400 www.alcoholics-anonymous.org Alcoholic Anonymous
Emotions Anonymous International PO Box 4245 St. Paul, Minnesota 55104 (651) 647-9712 www.emotionsanonymous.org Emotions Anonymous International
Narcotics Anonymous World Service Office 16155 Wyandotte St. Van Nuys, CA 91406 (818) 773-9999 www.na.org Narcotics Anonymous
Overeaters Anonymous World Service Office 3730 Motor Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90034 (505) 891-2664 www.overeatersanonymous.org Overeaters Anonymous
Recovery, Inc. 802 North Dearborn St. Chicago, Illinois 60610 (312) 337-5661 www.recovery-inc.com Recovery, Inc.
No one should quit taking medication cold turkey. That can be extremely dangerous. The decision to take or not take medicine should be between you and your doctor. Most members of support groups are not doctors, so they can not make medical decisions for you. If you want to stop taking medication, consult your doctor or go to a different doctor--do not do it on your own.
Although I have not taken any nerve medication for years, I did take a considerable amount during my first year and a half in AA. With my doctors guidance, I cut back until I was finally free of all meds. Although various doctors thought it not possible, I have lived a farily average life for over twenty-five years without medication to adjust my moods.
Some types of mental disorders require strong medication. When severely depressed, people often attempt suicide--many succeed. With certain mental states, one can not comprehend or appreciate what is said at meetings, so one may not be able to receive help from the meetings. The time for manic-depressives to really work on their problems is when their highs and lows have moderated. However, usually they do not make enough effort at that time because they feel fine. They use the same reasoning as I did when my roof leaked. When it was raining it was too wet, when it was not raining, it did not need to be fixed.
All medications have side effects. Once, I received 3rd degree burns from the sun, as a side effect of my medication. My doctor did not tell me that my medication made me hypersensitive to the sun, and I never thought to ask. Be sure to consult with your doctor if you experience any problems. Most side effects are minor. But, a few individuals will react with major side effects that 99% of people will never experience. Some side effects disappear after a few days.
I have taken many medications, I know others who have taken them, and I have published articles describing their mode of action--I know that they do work. However, often the types and doses need to be adjusted. This sometimes takes time. Some require 10 days to 3 weeks to take effect, so be patient.
Today the good news is that there are many types of medications. The bad news is that it might take a while before you and your doctor find the one that is best for you. Much research is now aimed at finding easy, accurate means of choosing the best medicine. It appears that there are many different subtypes of depression and bipolar depression. Maybe by the time you are reading this, research with have developed a simple blood test to determine the most effective medicine. Depression can be treated more effectively than most illnesses. You do not need any major surgery; just taking a few pills each day will cause you to feel better than you have in years.
Today, many take medication for depression and attend AA meetings. Nearly everyone accepts the idea that we can have problems other than alcohol and may need to go outside the meetings for help. If we have car problems, we contact a mechanic. If we have heart problems, we contact a cardiologist. If we have depression, we contact a specialist for help. However, we must be honest with medical people about our symptoms and about our involvement in a Twelve Step fellowship. Most doctors automatically reach for a prescription pad--so if we do not want medication or if we just want the bare minimum, we must inform our doctor. You may want to work with a psychologist or some other type of counselor before jumping into a rigid, heavy schedule of medication.
Everyone should be aware of the potential long-term consequences of taking any medication for years or decades. Clinical trials for drugs last only 4 to 6 weeks. This short period can not supply proof that the drug will still be safe after it is used for years or decades.
Millions of patients have been afflicted with a severe neurological disorder called tardive dyskinesia caused by drugs such as Thorazine, Haldol, Prolixin, and Navane. Those drugs were administered for two decades before it was generally accepted that they frequently cause the disorder. Tardive dyskinesia can severely incapacitate a person with disfiguring twitches and spasms; thus rendering patients unable to work or have a normal family or social life.
Having studied biology and chemistry in college, I have always had a keen interest in how medication affects the brain. Underlying this interest was my dream that some day science would develop the perfect drug. One, without side effects, that would make us all smart and happy. In other words, I wanted a safe, legal "high." Off and on for decades, I have researched this topic through books, classes, and the Internet.
The literature dealing with pharmacological research contains references to such terms as neurotransmitters, receptors, and second messengers. Scientists explain our thoughts as consisting of electrochemical alterations along nerve fibers working together with special chemicals, called neurotransmitters, that move across the gaps between nerves.
Thoughts involve chemical activity inside and around our nerves. Scientists have discovered many details of this activity. When a strong enough electrochemical impulse travels to the end of a nerve fiber, stores of neurotransmitters are released to travel across a gap, called the synapse. Once across the synapse these neurotransmitters chemically bind to other chemicals called receptors which cover the surface of the other nerve. When a neurotransmitter attaches to a receptor, other events occur. Apparently in depression there is less nerve transmission, so our thinking appears to be slowed. Antidepressants increase nerve transmission. The changes caused by the medications can occur in the first nerve, in the synapse, or inside the second nerve in many possible locations.
One of the most popular group of antidepressants are the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). This group includes Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, and Luvox. They increase the activity of the neurotransmitter serotonin by keeping it in the synapse longer. Normally, neurotransmitters are quickly removed from the synapse. One mechanism that accomplishes this removal is reuptake by the first nerve cell. That means that the nerve cell carries the chemical back inside, to later use again with another impulse. In other words, it is as if the nerve was recycling the chemical. If serotonin remains longer in the synapse, then it can stimulate the receptors over and over again. This extra stimulation would enhance nerve activity .
A major complication in treating depression is that there could be many causes. Maybe not enough neurotransmitter is being released, too few receptors are available, or the neurotransmitter is being removed too quickly. Any one of a multitude of mechanisms can reduce the strength of a nerve impulse. Inside the second nerve are several enzyme systems that transfer or amplify the impulse. Any one of these systems may be defective.
Chemical treatment of depression is similar to fixing a car that will not start. A car with a electrical malfunction may not start due to problems with the battery, coil, distributor, spark plugs, spark plug wires, or the computer. On the other hand, if the fuel system is at fault then the fuel pump, fuel line, or fuel injectors may need to be replaced. Some mechanics just replace parts until the car starts. Often a mechanic can shorten the repair time if it is known whether the fuel system or the electrical system is at fault. Still, the job is full of trail and error. Depression will also sometimes disappear by itself, just as a car will sometimes start after it sits a few hours. Since so many chemicals and systems may cause depression, the doctor often proceeds with trial and error, just as the mechanic does in fixing the car. Much research is now being focused on developing a blood test to determine immediately what medication to use, but little progress has occurred. Some experienced mechanics often can take short cuts, and some experienced doctors can sometimes cut to the quick by asking a few questions.
Note that the following paragraph is only for those who like to understand everything and who may want to research the latest medical literature; it contains some heavy biochemistry.
Some of the neurotransmitters that have been implicated in depression are norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, actylcholine, and gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA). Norepinephrine and dopamine, since they both can be synthesized from the amino acid tyrosine, are chemically related to codeine and morphine. Serotonin, also called 5-hydroxytrytamine (5-HT), is produced from the amino acid tryptophan. Many substances that have intense biological activity are produced from amino acids that have a ring structure, such amino acids are classified as aromatic. Both Tyrosine and Tryptophan are aromatic amino acids. Inside of the second nerve of a nerve transmission some of the chemicals that have been associated with depression are G-proteins, cyclic AMP, phospholipase C, and inositol phosphate. Many of the chemicals inside cells contain phosphate. Living things typically use phosphate-containing chemicals to provide energy to do things inside the cell. Our muscles act using energy from adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
Every medicine has a down side. Some of our most long-used and safest medicines, even aspirin, have side effects that prevent many from using them. Aspirin caused me to have regular nose bleeds and violent stomach pain. Newer antidepressants like Prozac seem to work wonders for about two thirds of the people who use them as directed. However, many reliable studies have shown that the ability to have an orgasm during sex is greatly reduced in most people taking Prozac. Prozac will make you happy, but it may reduce your joy of sex.
Many experts argue that we do not know how antidepressants and other mood-altering medication work. Scientists measure various biochemical changes in brain chemicals, but we do not know if those changes cause improvement or are only one of a multitude of changes associated with a rise in mood. One major problem in understanding the biochemistry of mental illness is in the timing of effects. Medications cause immediate, definite changes in various neurotransmitters. However, usually the patient does not feel better until taking the medications for several weeks. Furthermore, brain chemistry often changes in the same way in people who are helped as in the people who are not helped.
The small number of people in most studies makes it difficult to draw conclusions. Many studies use only 10-20 people. With small numbers almost any noticeable improvements could be due to chance. Depression seems to naturally last a while then go away even without any treatment. With a small group, just by chance a few people might have gotten better without any treatment, since that is the normal course of the illness. Also, when doing experiments with people we can not control the total environment. People may be getting better due to an increase in exercise, church attendance, or social interaction and not because of medication.
Adding to the difficulty of evaluating medicines is a strong placebo affect in depressed subjects. Basically, if you give patients pills that have no active ingredients, about one third will improve. Some studies even show over 40% of depressives improving with placebos. Our mind seems to have a great power over our health. Antidepressants like Prozac help only a few percent more people than sugar pills do.
In recent years many high-tech inventions have allowed doctors to study the brain in more detail. Machines can trace what parts of the brain are active during different types of thinking or when a person is happy or sad. A typical experiment measures the amount of glucose (the type of sugar used by the brain for energy) in different parts of the brain when a person is daydreaming or is working math problems. These devices have great potential for answering what goes on in the brain during depression. Probably due to the cost in time and money, many of these studies involve just a few subjects. Having only a few subjects makes statistical analysis of any results difficult. In contrast, other psychological studies can be done by just having a subject answer questions, then letting a computer tabulate results. Other studies employ a computer to study already existing health records. The computer program might compare the medical histories of thousands of patients, perhaps looking for connections between depression and other bits of information. Such computer research requires little time from the researcher or patient. Moreover, this research can easily and cheaply be done on enormous numbers of individuals. Although a computer analysis can detect scientifically valid connections, little is learned about what is occurring with the brain's chemistry.
Antidepressant research makes sweeping assumptions. When a study shows a change in a certain brain chemical, we assume that the chemical caused the mood change. The changes in brain chemicals could be the result, rather than the cause of the mood changing. Some changes in our bodies involve many different chemicals and systems. For example, once I and two others were walking through a mall parking lot when a dog suddenly barked ferociously from an open window. We almost went into a state of shock. Our hearts immediately speeded up. We did not have a chemical imbalance; our bodies were reacting to a potentially dangerous situation. Had the dog been able to get at us, we would have needed extra energy to get away. If our bodies were analyzed by a medical person, a definite sequence of changes would become evident. First, the stimulus of the dog trying to scare us to death (he almost did), would have produced the automatic release of adrenaline from our adrenal glands. The adrenaline would consequently cause a whole group of biochemical and physical changes. Glucose would be released from storage in the muscles and the liver. Blood would be shifted from our digestive system and skin to our muscles so we would have more energy. Our pupils would dilate to improve our vision. When we study levels of chemicals that are changed by medication we may not be studying the main chemical, but only one of many in a chain. Perhaps depression is caused by some event in our lives, just as a physical threat causes changes throughout our bodies.
Could it be that depression is a natural reaction? Our body has a natural reaction to possible physical danger. Could our body have an automatic reaction to make us retreat from life for a while? Is depression a natural mechanism that provides time for us to evaluate and redirect our lives after a loss?
Can we think our way into depression? Many people over the centuries have written about how our way of thinking can cause our moods to change. Psychiatrist Abraham Low details this in his writings about Recovery, Inc. Psychologists Robert Ellis and Albert Beck developed a therapy called Rational Emotive Psychotherapy (also called rational therapy or RT) which aims at changing defeatist ways of thinking. Parts of this way of viewing our lives were even described centuries ago by Marcus Aurelius, an ancient Roman.
Over the decades I have read hundreds of articles and books that described things a person could do to lift their depression. However, I have not found anything of a similar nature for the bipolar person. Maybe this lack of advice for the manic-depressive is because bipolar disorder is less common, or perhaps the greater stigma attached to bipolar illness limits its discussion in print.
For a long while I thought that being high in a manic stage was the greatest drug. A manic attack brings unlimited confidence and energy. One's ideas and dreams seem so clear. What I liked the most was feeling that my tongue was connected to my brain. I was able to talk and expound on ideas effortlessly. All the correct words and phrasing were instantly available to help me expound on grand ideas. There was no grouping for the correct word or for some isolated fact or number. All information that I needed to communicate my thoughts came instantly to my mind. My mind was also capable of easily sailing from one concept to another.
I view my bipolar nature to be just like another drug. It seemed that underlying the depression that always following a manic attack was a longing for the good feelings of my so-called insane behavior. My dominant thought was how could they take those good feelings away? How could they condemn me to this lower existence? How could those feelings be so bad, if they feel so good?
Bipolar individuals seldom complain about their highs. At best they grudgingly concede that they were a little out of control. But basically we love to be high. Convincing a manic-depressive to accept being on a normal level is like convincing someone to be happy eating raw vegetables, instead of greasy hamburgers and chocolate candy.
My manic highs speed my brain up, but they also modify my thinking. My highs bring extreme sensitivity; if someone disagrees with me I get extremely upset. In addition, no matter how fast my mind is racing, I still make a certain amount of mistakes and errors in judgment. I may not be making any greater a percentage of mistakes then any one else, but with handling so many projects at once, the total number of mistakes can get me into trouble. These thinking errors seem to be random so I do not know where they will appear. I might be 100% correct about how some invention might work, but I could be totally wrong when I invest all of my savings in some money-making proposal. My rapid thinking carries a lack of attention to detail. I simplify ideas and theories then bounce them around like balloons. At some point I or someone else must examine all the details. The trouble is that when I am high, I lack the humility to have anyone question my great ideas and plans. This type of playing with ideas is being taught all around the country as "brainstorming."
It is a useful method for creative thought, but at some stage the ideas need to be evaluated.
I planned to venture into the manic phase again some day, but I wanted to build in some safeguards so that I could not be stopped. I really took to learning the martial arts probably because in the back of my mind I appreciated that the ability to maim others would be handy if the world came to lock me away again. I noticed in the mental ward that people who had lived long, stable lives before getting mentally ill were treated with more respect. So my plan was to establish a long period of conventional living. I wanted to become good at my job and to stay with the same company for a long, long time. I wanted to develop my writing skills so that I could express myself better. It always seemed that the world knocked my ideas down because of some little detail like a misspelled word.
After being off of all medication for a few years, I was able to go back to that world of the maniac for a few hours or so, then come down enough to carry out regular living. These times would often occur at AA activities while drinking lots of coffee. Listening to certain music with the volume turned way up would sometimes make me high. My mind would start to race. I would not sleep for hours or for a night or two.
However, though all of this I observed repeatedly that my highs always brought lows. If I felt high for a day or so, I would feel really slow and depressed for at least the same amount of time. From observing this pattern, I have come to an understanding and an acceptance of my condition. My nervous system lacks a control system to keep it on an even level. My mind speeds up, and does not slow down until all the energy is used up. Having used up the mental and physical energy, my mind goes into a resting state which we label as depression. While in an energized sate, I may be able to get a lot done. But then I will have to pay for it with total rest. My mind has to slow way down, my ability to speak and socialize has to turn off. Perhaps, neurotransmitters or other "happy" chemicals get totally used up with intensive activity, then my mind needs to shut off in order to rebuild its store of "happy" chemicals.
What helped me to accept my role in society was comparing myself to a running back in football. The guy makes big gains, maybe makes an important touchdown. He will have his moment in the sun, maybe be named most-valuable-player. However, these players do not usually run every single play. Often they suffer many injuries and are out for a game or two, or even for a whole season. They undergo many operations and long periods of physical therapy to recover from their injuries. The bipolar person might do some great things on occasion, but he is not in the game of life for every play. His contribution to society is on intermittent basis, just like the running back.
The person with bipolar illness can be a useful member of society; he or she has to just work at a different tempo than most others. Many famous people have displayed bipolar symptoms. One author pointed out that had it not been for the manic-depressants throughout history, civilization might still be in the dark ages.
My life has been a struggle to hang on to a relatively normal life while occasionally indulging myself in exciting projects. I cope fairly well if I schedule down time on a regular basis to recharge my batteries, and if I accept the seasons of my moods. I force myself to slow down after periods of intense effort. The hardest part is not beating up on myself during down times. Depressions bring on much guilt and projection. I have to believe this too shall pass.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
At the different Twelve Step meetings, there are many short sayings that are often mentioned. Sometimes all I need to do is hear a certain slogan to make me feel better. A great deal of meaning is packed into these short sayings. Life is a journey not a destination.
Let Go and Let God.
One day at a time
There but for the grace of God go I.
Easy does it
Progress not perfection
It made sense at the time.
Bring the body and the mind will follow.
Fake it until you make it.
Get an attitude of gratitude.
No one ever died from lack of sleep.
Do something good for yourself.
HALT - am I too Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired?
To thine own self be true.
God does not give you more then He and You can not handle together.
3C's - You did not Cause it, You can not Control it, You can not Cure it.
Over the past twenty plus years, I have gone to many self-help programs: AA, OA (Overeater's Anonymous), Al-Anon, Recovery Inc., NA (Narcotics Anonymous), ACOA (Adult Children of Alcoholics), and Alateen. I would have also participated in EA (Emotions Anonymous) as I have heard many good things about it, but there were no meetings nearby. On the average, I have attended 3-5 meetings of some type of program each week for all the time I have been in AA. All the groups were beneficial, all changed me for the better. All were filled with caring people who understood. Some nurtured my growth, until I moved on to something else. The various groups forced me to see myself and the world from different perspectives, just as one sees a another scene when looking at the underside of a table compared to looking at the top.
When I entered the rooms of AA, few recovering people went to counselors. Today many members work with counselors as well as attend Twelve Step meetings.
All of these groups use many of the same principles, although their language may differ. All possessed an atmosphere of unconditional love--I was loved and accepted for just being myself. All had some individuals who had been through problems like mine. They told me what they did to solve their problems. All the groups I attend, except Recovery, Inc., use the Twelve Steps as a basis for recovery.
With Twelve Step groups the only major change from one group to another is in the first step: Admitted we were powerless over ________. One self-help group says alcohol, another food, still another addiction. The word addiction is used by NA. Addiction can involve any drug, including alcohol. Narcotic Anonymous is not called Addictions Anonymous because its initials would be AA, and Alcoholics Anonymous had already been using AA for a long time by by the time NA was formed. Many of the principles in the steps, such as mediating, praying to a "Higher Power," helping others, and telling our faults to another come from religions as old as history. In the Twelve Step groups, no one forces their "Higher Power" on anyone; everyone is free to believe in a God as they understand Him/Her. For many, their "Higher Power" is the group because by going to the group they no longer have to drink, do drugs, or eat compulsively. The bottom line on belief in a Higher Power is expressed as, "What is important is that I have to know that I am not God." Some members go to a church of their own choosing, many have not set foot in a church in decades. All the groups except Recovery Inc. recite the serenity prayer.
Most people have no idea what happens in a Twelve Step meeting. Even though I was well-read and a college graduate, I had the illusion that sooner or later AA members would light candles and try to contact the dead. A common misconception is that AA's purpose is to teach Alcoholics to drink safely.
I have been to various types of support groups in the West and in the East from Maine to the Florida Keys. Although, there are slight modifications in some parts of the country, the basic philosophy remains the same.
Several readings are read at the start of Twelve Step meetings. The readings provide a summary of the program of recovery. After some announcements of local interest, the chairperson often "qualifies." That is the man or woman tells in a general fashion what brought him or her to the program. The main part of the meeting consists of discussion of a topic suggested by one of the members. Typical topics are: anger, resentment, fear, gratitude, and change. At the beginning and end of the meeting, a prayer is said--usually the serenity prayer at the start and the Lord's prayer at the end. Many hang around after the meeting to talk, some leave immediately.
At nearly all meetings, coffee is available. Some meetings have tea, hot chocolate, cake, sweet rolls, doughnuts, cookies, or soup. In addition to attending meetings, members go to picnics, camping, dances, conventions, and retreats. After meetings, some go to local restaurants for coffee and for more talk.
What is expected of you? You may be asked to give your first name. If you are uncomfortable with that, make up a name. You may be asked to speak on the topic. If you are called on, you can speak on the topic, talk about anything you want related to recovery, or simply say you want to pass. We often say there are no musts. We can gain much by just listening. The person with the most sobriety in my area--35 years--did not speak for his first 10 years. A basket will be passed around for donations since we are self supporting, that is we receive no financial backing from any governmental or religious organization. You are under no obligation to give anything. Some give a dollar, a quarter, or nothing. Most meetings last about one hour. It is often said that one should attend six meetings, before deciding that the program is not for you.
Recovery, Inc. is not a Twelve Step meeting. It is a self-help organization for nervous people and former mental patients. It is led by trained leaders who are nervous people or former mental patients themselves. Recovery, Inc., which is about as old as AA, was founded by the late psychiatrist Doctor Abraham A. Low because he was concerned about the high relapse rate for people leaving mental hospitals. Most of principles of Recovery, Inc. are similar to those of Twelve Step organizations, but the language is much different. Emphasis is placed on reading and studying the works of Dr. Low. There are no prayers or any references to a God or Higher Power. Most members attend one meeting per week. Some participate for a few years, get their nervousness under control, and then stop attending. However, they still use the Recovery "tools."
When I find myself in a low mood, I use Recovery tools to spot and challenge the way I am thinking and talking to myself. Recovery points us toward acting average. The average person has moderate expectations. When I expect a great deal, I end up disappointed. Sometimes people do not act as I think they should. If I do not get my expected praise I feel that my self-importance has been stepped on. By striving to be exceptional, I put excess pressure on myself. Dr. Low would say that I am being a keen observer but a poor interpreter when I judge the actions of others. A person may not give me my expected pat on the back because she is feeling sick or has something else in her life that is distracting her. Much of my worry comes from confusing possibilities and probabilities. Just because something is possible does not mean that it is probable. Recovery teaches us that we can function despite having nervous symptoms. It is not how you feel, it is how you function. I can function even though I feel depressed (depression is called lowered feelings in Recovery). The works and praises that are highlighted are common tools heard at Recovery meetings. Other Recovery tools are scattered through out the book especially in the following sections:
I have to always be right,
I need to fall asleep instantly,
Put one foot in front of the other,
Pat yourself on the back,
Control Thyself, and
Strive for Humility.
Meetings last about two hours and are highly structured. Throughout the United States, meetings follow the following agenda:
1. Read from the book Mental Health through Will Training or listen to a tape by Dr. Low.
2. Give or listen to examples of how Recovery works. These examples are given according to an outline to help organize the persons thoughts. The outline directs the person to tell Who, What, When, Where the nervous event occurred. Then the person tells what symptoms he/she experienced and then what Recovery principles were used (this is called spotting;). At the end the person describes how they would have acted before having had Recovery training (this encourages them to see progress). The rest of the group then does more "spotting" on the example. A person can always give a "Help Example" where the group does most of the "spotting."
3. Make comments on the examples.
4. Participate in "Mutual Aid." "Mutual Aid" is talking in small groups, it is a good time to ask questions and to get to know others. Usually, light refreshments are served; i.e. coffee, tea, cocoa.
What do you have to do? You may read, comment on the examples, ask questions, or pass. In fact, as a new person, you would not be expected to comment on examples until you had a chance to learn some recovery principles by attending some meetings and studying the book. A basket is passed around for a donation. Many give between one and two dollars. Recovery is self-supporting.
Recovery, Inc. taught me healthy methods of dealing with my emotions and thoughts. It gave me a conception of how a typical person is really supposed to feel. Before Recovery, Inc. I did not know how I felt or how "normal" people handle living problems.
This classic contains directions for working the Twelve Steps as well as many short stories of how others work their twenty-four hour recovery programs. Parts of a story by a medical doctor are read at the start of every meeting in some areas to remind us all about acceptance.
Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, New York: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, 1953
This short book, written by the co-founder of AA deals with many negative feelings and thinking that all addicts and depressives seem to go through. It is another classic. The author, Bill W. suffered from bouts of depression all of his life, but still managed to help the world so much that he was among the people selected to have most benefited society in the past 1000 years.
Breggin, P. and D. Cohen, Your Drug May be Your Problem, Reading Massachusetts: Perseus Books, 1999.
The doctors who wrote this book detail many of the side effects of medication. They discuss a useful, reasonable plan for getting off of psychiatric medications. Their advice has a different slant than that of some medical people. One of their principles was "Realize that emotional crises and suffering are opportunities for accelerated personal growth."
Collins, Vincent, Me, Myself, and You, St. Meinrad, IN: Abbey Press, 1974
Father Collins has written a short, simple guide to dealing with all types of mental problems. He discusses topics from AA and Recovery, Inc. in just a page or two. This is must reading for anyone with a history of addiction or mental problems.
Emotions Anonymous International, Emotions Anonymous, St. Paul, Minnesota: Emotions Anonymous International, 1978
Like AA's Big Book, this book has directions for doing the Twelve Steps followed by many short stories. It concentrates on various emotional problems.
Low, Abraham A., Mental Health Through Will-Training 2nd edition, Winnetka, Illinois 60093: Willett Publishing Co., 1986
Dr. Low wrote this book detailing the how's and why's of the Recovery, Inc. program. It does not contain much psychological theory or jargon, just specific, concrete directions for controlling the symptoms of mental illness.
Olson, B. Win the Battle. Chandler House Press, Worcester, MA, 1999
This is an excellent short book about depression by a person who tried many treatments. This is a good book for the person who wants to use medication.
O., Pat, Afraid to Live, Afraid to Die, Center City, MN: Hazelden Foundation, 1983
Pat describes in detail her depression, anxiety, and bad experiences with the Catholic Church; then her recovery in Emotions Anonymous. This book would be of special interest to the nervous person who is not an alcoholic or drug addict.
Presnall, L, The Search For Serenity and How to Achieve it, Salt Lake City, 1959
I came across this insightful book early in my recovery. The book is hard to put down once picked up. The author tends to describe many of the thoughts people have when they are wrestling with self-pity.
Sher, B., It's Only Too Late if You Don't Start Now, Delacorte Press, NY, 1998
Excellent book describing in detail how to reach your dreams. If you want to be successful this book is a must to read and study. It is the best of the dozens and dozens of books written on this subject.
Watson, L. (ed) Light From Many Lamps, Simon and Schuster, N.Y.1951
This book contains short and long inspirational quotations.