"RACINE COUNTY — Looking back, Dwayne Block says he wasn’t in the best place before he began attending a Racine County support group in 1985.
"He and his wife had been separated for about two years, and he was feeling more than a little down.
"'I felt so badly. I guess I tended to underestimate my abilities and be self-critical,' he said.
"That’s when the Oconomowoc man, then an elementary school band teacher, found a Recovery International chapter in Racine. Attending those regular support group meetings, he said, 'helped me to get myself together.'
"'It’s a make-it-or-break-it situation usually' that prompts people to seek help, said Block, who now leads this self-help group, which he said is the only one like it in Racine. 'Recovery will certainly help you make it. It helped me.'
"According to the organization, there are an array of mental and physical issues for which the members of this self-help group can find support and assistance. These include angry outbursts, depression, dizziness, various mood disorders, insomnia, schizophrenia, and social anxiety, according to Recovery International.
"Block, 73, said one doesn’t have to have a diagnosed mental health issue to attend these meetings, because they also are designed to help people deal with various emotional states and feelings. These can include anger, fearfulness and worry, he ticked off of a list.
"'We need to try to stay in the realm of averageness. That’s where good mental health lies,' Block explained."
Read more: http://journaltimes.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/finding-the-right-tools-for-recovery/article_9718bf7b-41a4-5ad4-bec5-e655d50e8286.html
It says in the article that Recovery Internatiohnal started two years after AA. How come I've never heard of it? This may be the thing for me.
I don't care to stay in the realm of averageness.
ReplyDeleteNow, in all seriousness:
I'm glad that there are places for people who need this type of help. Much of what our law enforcement deals with, and discipline problems in school with children come from the inability to function within "normal" realms of what society requires. It is really sad that there aren't more options for people in need. This sounds like a great choice and starting point for those who are having marginal difficulty.