Have you been to Recovery Inc ?

[Pam]

I just discovered there are Recovery Inc meetings quite close to where i live (out in the middle of nowhere). I am seriously thinking about joining with my boyfriend who has Depresssion & PTSD. I have skimmed over their website too and it looks interesting.

Does anyone have any experience with, or knowledge about, Recovery Inc and how did it affect you? Thanks for any information you want to share!

[slylikeafox]

I've only had a chance to glance over the site. I know there is a meeting in my area as well. I'm not sure if I like the idea of grouping social anxiety with other disorders(if I'm understanding correctly). I think I would be too nervous to discuss my Sa if I was the only one with it in the group.

Also interested in hearing anyone elses experiences with this group

[Pam]

Yeah my 1st choice would be a group with just Social Phobics, but good luck finding one.

I only glanced over the website too. It seems like it at least might be something that gets me to be out around other people. (I don't work). Plus it's cheap. Plus it's been around for 70 yrs! I have multiple diagnoses of:

PTSD,
Social Phobia,
"Borderline features," and sometimes
Depression.

(all of which are on the list of disorders that the group helps, according to the website)

It seems like they focus on Dr Low's writings & techniques and how to use them rather than what your specific diagnosis is. But I still haven't gone, so I don't know for sure. I do plan on taking my boyfriend, who likes going to group therapies. My goal would not neccessarily be to become an expert at their techniques. Instead I just need to be around other people and feel connected to other humans, even if they have a different diagnosis--that's ok. What I think is: It doesn't matter what kind of people we are around, just that we are around people. Being too picky (which I have been) keeps a person isolated/ is an excuse to not try something. Does that make sense?

I'm hoping to take my own advice and actually go to a Recovery inc group by the end of June.

[slylikeafox]

Good luck I hope it works out for you. I might end up trying it. It probably would be a good challege for my SA. I couldn't find the list of disorders on the site.

[Sunshine009]

Originally Posted by Pam

Yeah my 1st choice would be a group with just Social Phobics, but good luck finding one.

I only glanced over the website too. It seems like it at least might be something that gets me to be out around other people. (I don't work). Plus it's cheap. Plus it's been around for 70 yrs! I have multiple diagnoses of:

PTSD,
Social Phobia,
"Borderline features," and sometimes
Depression.

(all of which are on the list of disorders that the group helps, according to the website)

It seems like they focus on Dr Low's writings & techniques and how to use them rather than what your specific diagnosis is. But I still haven't gone, so I don't know for sure. I do plan on taking my boyfriend, who likes going to group therapies. My goal would not neccessarily be to become an expert at their techniques. Instead I just need to be around other people and feel connected to other humans, even if they have a different diagnosis--that's ok. What I think is: It doesn't matter what kind of people we are around, just that we are around people. Being too picky (which I have been) keeps a person isolated/ is an excuse to not try something. Does that make sense?

I'm hoping to take my own advice and actually go to a Recovery inc group by the end of June.

I've been there. It's very easy to follow. They don't diagnose and you say what you want about your problems. It is designed to get you to do things despite your depression or anxiety or to restrain your anger with others. So you have very introverted and also very extroverted people and people in between. I don't like the health chapters from the 1930s on bowel and sleeping problems but many don't - they are outdated, but most just ignore those. Although the group leader will defend them which makes me bristle. It's best to take what works and ignore the rest. They do take donations of which people put in a dollar or two or some change.

[Joyce]

Long before CBT was this program. As others have noted some of Dr. Lowe's stuff is old but it is definitely good basics. He worked with people who had severe social anxiety-not leaving the house, not wanting to get on a streetcar and other irrational fears. The system they use in meetings is for a person who volunteers to share "trivial" event and then describe the techniques they used to talk themselves into feeling better about the event.

"Trivial" is not an insult but it is a way to keep abuse issues out of the discussion. Since it is a self-help program it is not the place to address abuse issues.

The techniques used to talk yourself into better feelings are a kind of labeling of emotions with terms they only use at Recovery Inc. The terms are words that describe feelings without giving the feelings drama. For instance instead of saying "I felt depressed" they say "I was having lowered feeling tones" or a "downward spiral of feelings".

I liked this way of lowering the drama since it helped you to lower your anxiety level about your event. Basically the meeting is several people sharing how they were able to calm themselves and think rationally about an event from last week.

They also read a section from Dr. Lowe's books. I have read many of the books and they are no better than a modern book on CBT. Once you learn the lingo of the meeting and apply it when you have an event, you will get some help from it. I wish I could go again but they are nowhere near. You can find out where the meetings are from a search for Recovery Inc.

I think modern CBT is better but Recovery Inc. is a good place for a little interaction with non-judgmental people.

[Sunshine009]

^Yes, its pretty basic. Dr. Lowe had helped people personally with social anxiety with success in his time as is outlined in his books. However, the program itself deals with basics of doing things when depressed or anxious and restraining temper only and doesn't address the details of social interactions which are important. It is a good program. It only goes so far. Modern CBT and ACT are more advanced.

[Pam]

Originally Posted by Joyce

Long before CBT was this program. As others have noted some of Dr. Lowe's stuff is old but it is definitely good basics. He worked with people who had severe social anxiety-not leaving the house, not wanting to get on a streetcar and other irrational fears. The system they use in meetings is for a person who volunteers to share "trivial" event and then describe the techniques they used to talk themselves into feeling better about the event.

"Trivial" is not an insult but it is a way to keep abuse issues out of the discussion. Since it is a self-help program it is not the place to address abuse issues.

The techniques used to talk yourself into better feelings are a kind of labeling of emotions with terms they only use at Recovery Inc. The terms are words that describe feelings without giving the feelings drama. For instance instead of saying "I felt depressed" they say "I was having lowered feeling tones" or a "downward spiral of feelings".

I liked this way of lowering the drama since it helped you to lower your anxiety level about your event. Basically the meeting is several people sharing how they were able to calm themselves and think rationally about an event from last week.

They also read a section from Dr. Lowe's books. I have read many of the books and they are no better than a modern book on CBT. Once you learn the lingo of the meeting and apply it when you have an event, you will get some help from it. I wish I could go again but they are nowhere near. You can find out where the meetings are from a search for Recovery Inc.

I think modern CBT is better but Recovery Inc. is a good place for a little interaction with non-judgmental people.

Thanks for all the info!

The lingo they use will take me a while to get used to because I'm a student of psychology and have been using "diagnosing" terms and words forever.

I went to one meeting and am going again tonight. There weren't enough people last week so the lady just told us how it usually goes. But tonight there are supposed to be more people there and she said it would be a "real" meeting. So I'll see...

But unless I really can't stand it for some reason, I want to go--not necessarily to find a cure using their method--but for the opportunity to be around people, period. It is part of my own behavior therapy I am doing on myself. So the accomplishment isn't going to this group and using their method to cure myself--the accomplishment is that I show up for the group and don't freak out or have a panic attack!

[Anxiety75]

I went to Recovery back in 1996 with my parents. It was more of a family thing we decided on. We went a few weeks and stopped. We even had the book. I cannot remember if we still have it. It's kind of old-fashioned. Maybe it's been updated, but I know they had a lot of old stuff in that book. They didn't know what to call it back then-rarely panic or anxiety attacks but it certainly described what a lot of us have today.

[Pam]

Well...I went. The group leader seemed too preachy & bossy for me...IDK...He just rubbed me the wrong way. Talked to me like I was a moron too. (can you tell I'm annoyed? )

It's possible that the format is too rigid & restricting for my personality. I wasn't "allowed" to ask a question of a lady after she gave her example. (but she was so vague, I didn't understand how she really felt) The leader stifled me and I didn't like that at all. Especially since I never have the guts to talk to a bunch of strangers because of the SA! Then when I do, look what happens! Arrrrghh!!!

Anyway, I handled it ok as far as anxiety goes. I'll give it a few more tries and then I'll either stop going, or stop complaining!

[Joyce]

Yeah they don't want audience participation. It's about the person who is sharing.