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12 step
April 2008 
crack the facade....
Posted on Nov 17th, 2007
by 
CalmEagle
CalmEagle
I'm just back from an amazing seminar, the topic of mental health and working with compulsive behaviors and perfectionist syndrome...the huge problem in our culture of unhappy people who are disgusted with their lives and their appearance. Women especially who think they are always too fat - no matter how they look. The huge preoccupation with food: how much, what kind, how much, what diet, what fad, to be anorexic or bulimic...trying to control how much food one eats and how one looks...
It strikes me that many of us in the modern Western world are not at all grateful for the abundance that Nature and the blessings of the modern world and through our lack of appreciation and thankfulness we become addicted to the chronic and compulsive overeating, overdrinking and/or alcoholism and in some cases the habitual use of drugs, both prescription and street, to dull the pains of life.
The gift of knowing when to say when, knowing how to say no and how to give oneself over to a higher power, is a huge gift. The facade of being "OK" or being "normal" is a mask which covers a multitude of problems and pains. With some it is money, with some it is sex, with some it is drugs, sex, alcohol, foods - but many, many of us are using something compulsively to medicate ourselves and to build a facade that hides the imperfections and the troubles we do not want or do not know how to deal with.
I think the myriad of diet plan, drug programs, alcohol treatments and 12 Step groups in our culture shows that people want to deal with this stuff, but what actually works?
Action = Willingness. Do a small thing, be successful. Then do a little bit bigger thing, be successful. Baby steps. Get better. Be well.
Enjoy life.
It strikes me that many of us in the modern Western world are not at all grateful for the abundance that Nature and the blessings of the modern world and through our lack of appreciation and thankfulness we become addicted to the chronic and compulsive overeating, overdrinking and/or alcoholism and in some cases the habitual use of drugs, both prescription and street, to dull the pains of life.
The gift of knowing when to say when, knowing how to say no and how to give oneself over to a higher power, is a huge gift. The facade of being "OK" or being "normal" is a mask which covers a multitude of problems and pains. With some it is money, with some it is sex, with some it is drugs, sex, alcohol, foods - but many, many of us are using something compulsively to medicate ourselves and to build a facade that hides the imperfections and the troubles we do not want or do not know how to deal with.
I think the myriad of diet plan, drug programs, alcohol treatments and 12 Step groups in our culture shows that people want to deal with this stuff, but what actually works?
Action = Willingness. Do a small thing, be successful. Then do a little bit bigger thing, be successful. Baby steps. Get better. Be well.
Enjoy life.
Access: PublicTagged with: compulsive behavior, drug, alcohol, overeaters, sex addiction, mental health, 12 step, easy does it
Good seminar. I find myself being the happiest when I am actively doing something that benefits someone else, even if it is volunteering my time to help a rescue organization feed horses, spend time with the people less fortunate than myself, read a book for someone. When I am self-absorbed and focusing on “what I can get”, I start really focuing on me, me, me. Inevitably, there is something I find about me that I don't like. However, I think that I love myself.
I think what keeps me from being truly happy is that my life is focused on every one else. There is so little “me” time. My kids live 40 miles from my house and 75 from work, so I spend a lot of my time in my car going back and forth. Then because you only have such a short time with them, you feel compelled to spend every moment doing things with them. I have got to start taking a little bit of time for myself. Only problem is, when I do find an hour or two for myself, I never know what to do.
I think the facade of normality can also be very empowering for individuals, especially for
those in treatment or who are self managing (drug, alcohol, food obsessions etc)
as daily “routine” can offer the structure for a treatment programme and give indicators of possible alternative”coping” strategies
The underlying reasons or causes of compulsions are complex and probably numerous..the difficulty lies in the nature of obsession and to what level it is a voluntary action in the individual..
hence a normalising integrative approach can work …and so all can potentially BE WELL
I do agree that giving thanks is a step to postive thinking …but the management of mental health needs a lot more input and recogntion
Happy Thanksgiving …with love and food for thoughts
cate x