| If you are serious about spiritual growth and self | | | | wanted to go was a self help group. Desperation |
| help, then a group is practically indispensable in | | | | and disaster finally leave them no other option |
| getting you where you need to go. It is a | | | | and they fall into AA to ask for help. |
| fundamental truth in psychology and self help that | | | | Another common example that we see over and |
| you simply cannot overcome your problems alone. | | | | over in self help groups is the pattern of |
| You need people who have been where you are | | | | controlling behavior. People tend to avoid the fact |
| and who have gone through the struggles you | | | | that they are powerless over others and seek |
| likely will go through as well. Even if your problem | | | | out relationships where they can control someone |
| is the inability to be alone, it is likely that you can | | | | either through money or manipulation, always |
| get some help from other people who use to be | | | | feeling that they are never satisfied with anyone |
| afraid of this but who found a way to face their | | | | they meet. They struggle with anger issues and |
| fear and are now completely comfortable with | | | | feelings of rage when they don't get what they |
| being alone. | | | | want and their marriages and relationships with |
| A self help group is one of the best ways to | | | | their children suffer as a result. Finding themselves |
| make a serious change because the others in the | | | | at the end of their rope, they may finally turn to |
| group will keep you honest. We all know how to | | | | a counselor or therapist for help but find that no |
| lie to ourselves and pretend as though we are | | | | therapist seems "good enough" for them either. |
| making a change even when we are not. We run | | | | Because of a problem that is simply too big to |
| from place to place talking about how we want to | | | | ignore, they may stay around the therapist's |
| change and reading every book in sight but we | | | | office for several months and, if they are lucky |
| are experts at avoiding the true issue beneath | | | | enough to listen to an expert just a little, they |
| the surface. Our biggest fears are buried deep | | | | may finally have a breakthrough where they can |
| inside and we look for any way to avoid them so | | | | finally see their own self centered behavior up |
| that we won't have to face ourselves. Self help | | | | close. Therapists are trained to help a person see |
| groups force us top be honest because everyone | | | | their own behavior in a way that is impossible for |
| there can see through our lies and it becomes | | | | them to see on their own. It's a big difference |
| much harder to continue the same old behavior | | | | between a person who can say they are a |
| that we have been doing up until now. | | | | "control freak" and a person who can actually |
| As an example, it will help to consider some | | | | employ the courage to experience the fear of |
| specific problems that people struggle with and | | | | letting go. This is what others can help us to do |
| eventually find help in a self help group. One of | | | | and why self help groups are now so successful. |
| the most common of these is alcoholism. For | | | | As much as we all wish we could do it all on our |
| years, alcoholics rationalize their problem with | | | | own, nobody is all-powerful and we all can benefit |
| drinking and go through scores of relationships | | | | from an outside perspective once in a while. As |
| wherein they will do and say anything in order to | | | | the famous saying goes, "You can't unscrew your |
| continue drinking. Divorce, loss of job, loss of | | | | screwed up head with your screwed up head!" |
| house and loss of family are all typical patterns | | | | Having the humility to see that you need a little |
| for alcoholics even if these losses take place over | | | | help might just bring you the courage to seek one |
| the course of decades. Eventually, the alcoholic | | | | out. Your spiritual growth will be increased tenfold |
| looks back over their life and realizes they've | | | | when you follow through and make a self help |
| been running from one simple truth. They can't | | | | group part of your ongoing spiritual progress. |
| stop drinking. Hundreds of people had already | | | | Read about becoming a detective and becoming a |
| seen the problem in the alcoholic but they couldn't | | | | landlord at the How To Become Successful |
| see it themselves. The last place on Earth they | | | | website. |