I am in a 12 step program called celebrate recovery. It uses the twelve steps like AA, but you just apply you issue or problem. It has helped me beyond any explaination. Check out Celebraterecovery.com to find a meeting near you if your interested. I have just recently became a small share group leader and started a group for depression, anxiety, and mood disorders. The different groups depend on the meeting, but even if they don't have a group to fit you, they have you attend any group because it still works. I started out in the co-dependency group until starting my group.

Twelve Steps:

1. We admitted we were powerless over out addictions and conpulsive behaviors, that our lives had become unmanageable.

2. We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

3. We made a decision to turn out lives and our wills over to the care of God.

4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory or ourselves.

5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

6. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

7. We humbly asked Him to remove all our shortcomings.

8. We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.

9. We made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

10. We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

11. We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and power to carry that out.

12. Having had a spiritual experience as the result ot these steps, we try to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

[trippinmickey]

Hate 12 Steps !!!!!!!!!! Im glad it works for you But like alot of people with mental illness my mind just doesn't work that way.Ive seen friends get very very hurt in a 12 step program and one tried to kill her self cause they couldnt make it work along with their mental illness and are her so call 12 step freinds turned their back on her and wont talk or help after she lost it. Turned me off big time .For 12 step people life gets peachy and if your not getting better your not doing the steps or your using again.

People with a mental illness should find a double trouble group instead where they can work on both thats just my advice.

[jbug]

I used to go to CR but didn't fit in real well so quit going. I did make a few friends that I still keep in touch with though. I figure if it works for you GREAT!!

Jbug

[splitimage]

A woman in my addictions treatment group is involved in setting up a celebrate recovery group in her church. I'm glad its working for you. Me I'll stick to go old AA, since that seems to be working for me.

--splitimage

[StarPonysMama]

I attend AA and see a private Therapist. That seems to work for me. The fellowship that AA provides does wonders for me. However, it may not be some people's cup of tea. I think these 12 steps are great and yes, we can find many things we can apply them to in our lives. Thanks for sharing.