[Magdalen] Admission

[Sally Davies]

Lynn, this is amazing. How beautifully put - thank you for sharing.

The idea of "naming our struggles" seems so valuable and important to me.
If you're coming to the naming part with a background concept that swallow
up the entire person,  i.e. "I am" <whatever>, that makes you feel as
though everything about your life is somehow also about that struggle, then
resistance is inevitable and not necessarily a part of the addiction
picture either.

Society would seek to humiliate people on the basis of their life struggles
and it's easy to internalise this humiliation -  not only with
alcohol/substances but many other things too.

"Humbled" is something quite different and much less likely to evoke
painful defensiveness.

Sally D

On Thursday, January 7, 2016, Lynn Ronkainen <houstonklr at gmail.com> wrote:

> questions about 12 step groups:
>
> Hi I'm Lynn and my experience is that every group is different. Every
> group (within 'the programs") does not work for everyone  who seeks healing
> and community. Sometime one needs to find the group that works for them -
> in the sense of support and being held accountable, when needed - not
> comfortable as an old shoe where one can continue to come but not begin the
> hard work of putting one's life back together again in a new way. Sobriety
> of body, mind, spirit, emotions is hard work and it only works when someone
> really *wants* it and *works it*.
>
> In my group we do repeat 'I'm Lynn' each time we speak. I always assumed
> it was because not everyone knows or remembers everyone's name as there are
> often new people dropping in, so it is a reminder or a bit of an
> introduction. In my group we do use an identifier - "Hi, I'm Lynn, ACA" for
> me (at another time it was ...I'm Lynn, Alanon) I never really thought much
> about it other than I am reaffirming that I'm naming my own struggle .
>
> Saying my  name, even over and over, was far from my most uncomfortable
> and yet eventually road-to-healing moments which remained unuttered for a
> long time...  when one is "ready", desperate, touched by the holy, open to
> something new/better, offered hope.... when one is humble/d (not
> humiliated) by one's life circumstances, then this may not be so much of a
> concern. Some people come into 'the rooms' of 12 step programs ready to do
> anything to make their life whole again, and many do.  In retrospect a 12
> step room can be the very best place to be uncomfortable because many of
> the people there actually do know how you feel and they've been there done
> that too.
>
> (searched in vain to find a quote on humility that an AA friend said to
> me...)
>
> Lynn
>
> website: www.ichthysdesigns.com
>
> When I stand before God at the end of my life I would hope that I have not
> a single bit of talent left and could say, "I used everything You gave me."
> attributed to Erma Bombeck
> "Either Freedom for all or stop talking about Freedom at all" from a talk
> by Richard Rohr
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "M J _Mike_ Logsdon" <mjl at ix.netcom.com>
> Sent: Thursday, January 07, 2016 1:03 PM
> To: <magdalen at herberthouse.org>
> Subject: Re: [Magdalen] Admission
>
> The other evening, I introduced myself by saying “I’m Jim.”  I got the
>>>>> same response as everyone else.<<<
>>>>>
>>>>
>> But is that what is supposed to be done EACH TIME one wants to speak?
>>
>
>