What impressed me the most about this program is the heavy emphasis on spirituality. The language emphasizes the presence of God as each participant understands Him, and for me that would be God. It is already established that the only way to overcome an addiction of any sort; is we cannot do it alone, we need an higher, spiritual power. And so it is with a mental illness; if we are going to survive, we need God.
With my experience with a mental illness, I believe this 12 Step Program could both be beneficial and adapted for someone suffering a mental illness. Here are “MY” 12 Step Program to better Mental & Spiritual Health.
- We first have to acknowledge that we have a mental illness, stop living in denial, seek help and speak out. We have nothing to be ashamed of.
- Come to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to better mental health.
- Make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God, for only He can see us through this dark hole.
- Search me oh God and know my heart today.
- Admit to God and ourselves that we are powerless and rely totally on Him to walk this road with us.
- Ask God to remove anything in our lives that is unlike Him.
- Forgive us of our shortcomings.
- Ask for God’s forgiveness of our past and live in the moment.
- Place our future in God’s hands and trust that He knows what He’s doing.
- Admit when we are wrong and learn from our mistakes.
- Spend time in prayer, meditation and solitude, praying only for knowledge of His will for us.
- Having a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps. And may we know that He will never leave us or forsake us.
