Many times it is difficult for persons interested in attending a face to face Depressed Anonymous meeting in their community, sadly discovering that there are no DA meetings available.
Our Fellowship has developed tools to help those who have no support groups to utilize our Home Study Kit of Recovery. The Home Study Kit includes a Depressed Anonymous Workbook and the Depressed Anonymous Group Manual( 3rd edition). Both books used together provide information about depression plus personal enrichment.
You will find that the Depressed Anonymous Workbook, with questions pertaining to each of the chapters in the Manual are coordinated by page and paragraph with the Manual.
Our approach to depression is based on the 12 spiritual principles of Recovery. Your answers to the questions are your own and gradually move you one step after another until all the 12 Step are personally assimilated and examined based on your own life experiences. The whole Home Study process will let you go at your own speed so that you have an in depth awareness of how depression can by overcome by learning how you got to where you are today. Following this learning experience you will gradually acquire tools for facing and overcoming those areas of your life which previous to the study, had you imprisoned in pain plus isolated from others. In fact, after moving through all the Steps and learning how depression has negatively affected your life – you will gradually have tools to dismantle those various thoughts, behaviors which have kept you immobilized.
For every person who uses the Home Study a sponsor will be available to you (just like in any 12 step program) as a mentor, per your choice, and walk with you through this recovery process. If you choose to take this healing path and make a decision to do so, you will find that you not only are feeling better but that life has meaning for you once again. You are hopeful!
An example from The DA Workbook on Page 83, Question 11.18 states that:
“We conclude that since our depression and sad thoughts are getting progressively worse over the course of time, we then have to admit that our feelings are out of control and we need help.” (M116). And it is here that the question prompts a solution from the same person. Here is her solution and one that you could use as well.
M116 refers to the Depressed Anonymous Manual where we find the personal story of Frances who shares with us that “I just hope that I will always be able to attend Depressed Anonymous meetings regularly and wish more people had the opportunity to do the same. Depressed Anonymous has helped me so much. I cannot begin to explain sufficiently the support the meetings can give one who is depressed. Depressed Anonymous has been and is my salvation. I know the Twelve Steps program is the only way to go to get one on the right track and it takes the meetings to keep you there. They are also a “Godsend” for me and I know for a lot of others who are depressed.” Page 116.
Finally, if there are no meetings in your community this process of using the Home Study Recovery program will provide so much for you that it will enable you to lead a support group in your home community now that you have worked all of the Steps – and that with the support of a sponsor.
Resources:
(c) Depressed Anonymous, 3rd edition (2011) Depressed Anonymous Publications . Louisville. Ky.
(c) The Depressed Anonymous Workbook (2002) Depressed Anonymous Publications. Louisville. KY.
Both books that make up the HOME STUDY KIT can be ordered online from the Depressed Anonymous Publications Bookstore. These two books are also in eBooks format and are available for ordering online.
You can get started today.