Helping Each Other ...by Sr. Monika

We have all heard about Alcoholics Anonymous, which began in 1935, and has helped countless people overcome addiction to alcohol. There are many spin-offs of that model, including Narcotics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, and Emotions Anonymous, (EA) among many others.
I was introduced to Emotions Anonymous during my time in treatment for depression. It is based on the Alcoholics Anonymous model of support from people who have similar struggles in life. We use a script to keep the meeting flowing and we read (and re-read) EA materials together. A time for sharing comes after the reading. We use the sharing time to express our experiences, strengths, and hopes with each other. There is no discussion or dialog. Very powerful things happen as we share our responses to the reading or anything else on our minds.
I’ve been attending an EA meeting weekly for over ten years now. The group I belong to, which includes people from Canada, California, Minnesota, and all over Western Washington, is so focused on healing and so caring that I continue to want to attend. We share on deep levels and witness the progress we have made. The whole meeting takes place within about an hour. It is not a replacement for professional therapy, but it is a helpful addendum to therapy and lot less expensive—mostly free.
Here are some snippets from EA materials that have made a difference to me:
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We aim for an atmosphere of love and acceptance. We do not care who you are or what you have done. You are welcome. (Very Benedictine, I’d say.)
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Part of our serenity comes from being able to live at peace with unsolved problems.
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Just for today I will try to be happy, realizing my happiness does not depend on what others do or say or what happens around me. Happiness is a result of being at peace with myself.
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It is what it is.
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We realize that God is doing for us what we could not do ourselves.
One of the Twelve Traditions of EA is, “Each group has but one primary purpose--to carry its message to the person who still suffers from emotional problems.” I would add another purpose: to reach and to maintain a better level of emotional wellness than when we began.
Each meeting begins and ends with prayer. At the meeting I belong to we usually pray the Serenity Prayer and sometimes we pray the Peace Prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi. The Serenity Prayer is a powerful prayer for anyone to pray. It is not just for folks who belong to 12-step programs.
If you want more information about EA go to emotionsanonymous.org. There you will find information about meetings, both in-person and via Zoom. You will also find the library of printed and digital materials. Feel free to contact me with questions: sr.monika.osb@gmail.com
I end this post with the prayer that ends our meetings:
God, grant me the Serenity
to Accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
and Wisdom to know the difference.
Amen.
Photo by marcos_bh on Freeimages.com
Comments
Comment posted by Janice J Ariza on January 21, 2025 at 2:07PM (19 days ago)
The snippets are so helpful! They remind me to keep my center - like shooting the rapids.
Thank you :)
Comment posted by Sr. Lucy M Wynkoop on January 17, 2025 at 10:28AM (23 days ago)
S Monika, thank you for sharing about how helpful and caring the group is who encourage you to keep working on emotions.
Gratefully,
S Lucy
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