I’ve recently joined an RI group (Recovery International) through meetup.com. It is a weekly meeting with a handful of other people struggling with depression, anxiety and mental health. I joined this group to gain knowledge on mental health/illness.

The RI group was founded in 1937 by Abraham Low. He was a neuropsychiatrist in Chicago, Illinois. It is a non-profit organization that helps people deal with self-control, self-confidence and the determination to act. You can find a group located near you through meetup. I encourage anyone with these struggles to check it out.

I have a huge fear of being in a new setting or atmosphere with people I do not know, by myself. However, when you feel like you’ve hit rock bottom emotionally, you have to stand up and push forward. I over-came my fear and attended an RI group nearby. It was very interesting, I loved the organizer (who are mostly experienced non-professionals). There were several people who attended, including new comers like myself. I purchased two books, “The Wisdom of Dr. Low”, which are the quotations from the works of Dr. Low, and the second book I purchased was the RI discovery participant workbook. Each week we read a chapter out of the workbook and discuss as a group what we thought about the teachings. After we proceed to talk individually about the constructed 4 step outline to help us with a situation we may be struggling with.

Step 1: Report a single situation or event that caused you to get yourself worked up. Give a brief description of what happened, what triggered temper and symptoms?

Step 2: Report the symptoms you experienced, both physical and metal. (Fearful thoughts, angry, confusion, disturbing impulses, tightness in your chest, lowered feelings, sweaty palms, etc.)

Step 3: Report your spotting of fearful or angry temper, use the RI tools to spot yourself and give self-endorsement for your effort.

Step 4: Begin with “before I had my RI training,” and describe the temperamental reaction and symptoms you would have experienced in former days. What would have happened then versus what would have happened now?

After discussing all four steps with the group, the group then volunteers to endorse you for your effort as well. This is a great way to help me calm myself down when I get myself worked up with anger. I am still new to this group, however I encourage anyone to try it. I am going to take notes in each group and write out my thoughts each week.

Goals:

“The one and only goal of the patient must be to regain his mental health.  In order to achieve it, the goals and whims and wishes of “human nature” must be held down with ruthless determination.” – Dr. Low