Growing to Grow

Go to grow
What is it to go to GROW?

Why use a 12 step program?

At a time when I felt that life was not really worth the living and could not see any good for my future I was encouraged to go to a GROW meeting in our local area. I was not able to get out of the house let alone get along to a meeting so alas I did not go.

This may have been the wisest thing I did at that particular time without understanding why..

Some time later after getting to see a psychiatrist who seemed to understand me better and we work through medications till we found what would help, as well as talking to a psychologist whom I really was not all that happy with, I did begin to find life once again..

That is when I thought I would give GROW a go...

It was not long before I discovered that some how it all seemed not quite right.

They use a 12 step program which is based on the AA 12 step program..

I feel they are the 12 steps to blame and shame..

Here is what the little BLUE book of GROW states why we have ended up with some sort of Mental health problem..


THE 12 STAGES OF DECLINE AND MALADJUSTMENT

1. Some how we decided to place too much importance on ourselves and our feelings.
Is it our fault that we are suffering mental ill health?

2. If we had God in our life or not we decided to become inattentive to God and God’s natural order in our lives?
God was the only thing that kept me afloat.

3. We decided to let competitive motives in dealing with others prevail over our common personal welfare?
Is it our fault?

4. Against our better judgement we expressed or suppressed certain feelings.
is it our fault?

5. Instead of following reason we decided to follow feelings and imaginations.
is it our fault??

6. Decided to neglect the care of our bodies.
I had not as I showed regularly.

7. Avoided to recognize our decline and shrank from changing.
I sure recognized my decline and was seeking support?

8. Did not recognise the real nature of our unhealthy conduct systematically disguising in our imaginations.
is it our fault?

9. Decided to become a prey to obsessions, delusions and hallucinations. .
is it our fault?

10. We decided to practice irrational habits, under elated feeling of irresponsibility or despairing feelings of inability or compulsion.
is it our fault?

11. We rejected advice and refused to co-operate with help.
I never rejected advice I was looking for a way that would be of support.

12. We lost all insight into our condition.
is it our fault?


Now non of this seemed to make sense to me but - I thought maybe maybe they knew better than me..

So I continued to go along to meetings...

When my husband asked me what the meetings was like my answer were "Under stimulating to say the Least".

I found that there was some good things but the more I looked at the program I became more and more concerned..

The little BLUE book states that the way to recovery is by these 12 steps of recovery.

THE 12 STEPS OF RECOVERY AND PERSONAL GROWTH

1. We are to Admit we are inadequate or maladjusted to life.
is it our fault we have a mental health problem?

2. We are to firmly resolved to get well and co-operate with the help that we needed.
is it our fault we have a mental health problem?

3. We are to surrender to the healing power of a wise and loving God.
I was existing only by the power of my loving GOD.

4. We are to make personal inventory and accept ourselves.
did We do something to cause our mental problem?

5. We are to make moral inventory and clean out our hearts.
Did we have to clean up our unclean heart?

6. We are to endure until cured.

7. We are to take care and control of our bodies.
Did we not take care of our bodies?

8. We are to learn to think by reason rather than by feelings and imagination.

9. We are to train our wills to govern our feelings.

10. We are to take our responsible and caring place in society.
Were we not taking our responsible and caring place in society?..

11. We grew daily closer to maturity.
Were we immature??

12. We are to carried GROW's hopeful healing and transforming message to others in similar need.
is it by assuring them they are to blame for their own mental health condition?

At the end of each meeting they would ask the question..

Who is a GROWer?....

I could never put up my hand to say that I was "not" by those standards. I knew that why I got to where I got to was not my fault but by a number of circumstances quite outside my control. Yes I did have the power to help myself with the proper support.

There is needed much change in the understanding of Mental Health for GROW to GROW.

Mental Health is NOT an addiction..... it is an illness...
We do not cause ourself to become unwell.
No more than a diabetic causes their pancreas to become ineffective.