~The well-run group is not a battlefield for egos~ Lao Tzu
I'm horrible with directions and I'm usually too stubborn to ask for help, so I continue driving around until I can figure it out myself. It was no different with life. I thought about that as I was getting lost driving to River Valley Church for the first time from my home. We used to travel from the inpatient house and I'm useless when it comes to remembering locations. I'm planning to continue attending that church because it's fast growing and modern with a lot of people my age and a lot of positive energy. It's one church with multiple campuses around various suburbs. They're opening a campus in Edina which will be closer to my home. I like the band that opens the service and their use of technology. The pastor and other church leadership seem authentic and passionate. I think what hooked me though was their tremendous outreach program with the community and around the world. One of the great things about AA and other recovery programs is the importance of service work and belief in something greater than ourselves. River Ridge Treatment Center didn't force anyone to believe in God, but the program was designed around the Twelve-Steps which emphasizes believing in a higher power that can give strength.
I'm planning on checking out another support group called Celebrate Recovery at River Valley on Tuesday night. It's a more Christ-Centered approach to recovery. In this early stage, I think it's important to expose myself to many different support groups. I want to get to know as many people as possible who are experiencing similar struggles and who are also taking personal responsibility. My counselor Rachel gave me information on support groups for eating disorders and sexual abuse. I'm also interested in joining the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) because there are still a lot of stigmas surrounding mental illness as well. There's always been a fear for me that people will think I'm crazy or stupid. If I have the flu and can't get out of bed, it's accepted by society, however, if I have depression and can't get out of bed, society thinks I'm lazy and weak. Millions of people around the world experience some type of mental illness. I've suffered from depression and anxiety since I was about 8-years-old.
At the moment, I'm managing my mental illnesses along with my addictions, but I have to be conscious each moment about my stress levels, feelings, thoughts, eating right, sleep, exercising, etc. I have experienced cross-addiction in the past with alcohol, drugs, food, relationships and shopping. Cross-addiction is when a person becomes addicted to multiple substances or behaviors. It's common with the "all or nothing" mentality of an addict. Even now, it would be easy for me to become addicted to something else to attain a similar "high." I have an addictive personality. Some people who quit drinking or drugs also become addicted to sex, gambling, spending money, exercise, etc. I asked Rachel if there was a shopping addiction support group and she rolled her eyes and smiled. She probably thinks that my goal now is to become the poster child for support groups. I'll just stick with a few for now.
I'm horrible with directions and I'm usually too stubborn to ask for help, so I continue driving around until I can figure it out myself. It was no different with life. I thought about that as I was getting lost driving to River Valley Church for the first time from my home. We used to travel from the inpatient house and I'm useless when it comes to remembering locations. I'm planning to continue attending that church because it's fast growing and modern with a lot of people my age and a lot of positive energy. It's one church with multiple campuses around various suburbs. They're opening a campus in Edina which will be closer to my home. I like the band that opens the service and their use of technology. The pastor and other church leadership seem authentic and passionate. I think what hooked me though was their tremendous outreach program with the community and around the world. One of the great things about AA and other recovery programs is the importance of service work and belief in something greater than ourselves. River Ridge Treatment Center didn't force anyone to believe in God, but the program was designed around the Twelve-Steps which emphasizes believing in a higher power that can give strength.
I'm planning on checking out another support group called Celebrate Recovery at River Valley on Tuesday night. It's a more Christ-Centered approach to recovery. In this early stage, I think it's important to expose myself to many different support groups. I want to get to know as many people as possible who are experiencing similar struggles and who are also taking personal responsibility. My counselor Rachel gave me information on support groups for eating disorders and sexual abuse. I'm also interested in joining the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) because there are still a lot of stigmas surrounding mental illness as well. There's always been a fear for me that people will think I'm crazy or stupid. If I have the flu and can't get out of bed, it's accepted by society, however, if I have depression and can't get out of bed, society thinks I'm lazy and weak. Millions of people around the world experience some type of mental illness. I've suffered from depression and anxiety since I was about 8-years-old.
At the moment, I'm managing my mental illnesses along with my addictions, but I have to be conscious each moment about my stress levels, feelings, thoughts, eating right, sleep, exercising, etc. I have experienced cross-addiction in the past with alcohol, drugs, food, relationships and shopping. Cross-addiction is when a person becomes addicted to multiple substances or behaviors. It's common with the "all or nothing" mentality of an addict. Even now, it would be easy for me to become addicted to something else to attain a similar "high." I have an addictive personality. Some people who quit drinking or drugs also become addicted to sex, gambling, spending money, exercise, etc. I asked Rachel if there was a shopping addiction support group and she rolled her eyes and smiled. She probably thinks that my goal now is to become the poster child for support groups. I'll just stick with a few for now.
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