“When I stopped living in the problem and began living in the answer, the problem went away. From that moment on, I have not had a single compulsion to drink.” Bill W., co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous.
The people of AA had something that looked much better than what I had, but I was afraid to let go of what I had in order to try something new, there was a certain sense of security in the familiar. And acceptance is the answer to all problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place or thing, or situation -some fact of my life – unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place or thing or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment. Nothing, absolutely nothing hapens in God’s world by mistake. Until I could accept my alcoholism (insert: depression ), I could not stay sober; unless I accept life completely on life’s terms. I cannot be happy. I need to concentrate not so much on me and on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and my attitudes…AA (DA) and acceptance have taught me that there is a bit of good in the worst of us and a bit of the bad in the best of us…We are all children of God and have every right to be here on this earth. When I focus on what’s good today, I have a good day. And when I focus on a problem, the problem increases; if I focus on the answer, the answer increases…When we deal in feelings, we tend to come to know ourselves and each other much better.” Bill W. , Co-Founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. SOURCE: Alcoholics Anonymous, pp.449.
“The world is round, and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning.” Iva Baker Priest
That one sentence describe in a few words what our recovery is like.
Since our mutual aid group, Depressed Anonymous is based and modeled after he 12 Step recovery program of Alcoholics Anonymous, we have discovered that they are a powerful source of healing when used to recover from the life threatening reality called depression.
Even though our fellowship is composed of many varied types of addictive behaviors, alcoholism being one of them, depression is intimately connected to all compulsive and addictive behaviors.
Live in the problem and you deepen the problem. Live in the solution, and you deepen the solution. For samples of the many persons who no longer are depressed, thanks to their belief in the power of the spiritual principles of the 12 Steps, read their own personal stories of recovery in our Manual, Depressed Anonymous, 3rd edition. (2011) DAP. Louisville. Ky.
For more information about this book, and others like it, please go to the Depressed Anonymous Publications Bookstore and find how to order online.