CONTENT

THE 6 PRINCIPLES OF MENTAL HEALTH RECOVERY & SELF DEVELOPMENT:

1. Powerlessness: We are powerless over the mental health label we or others give ourselves.
2. Higher Power / Purpose: We need something greater than us to connect to in order to climb out of the mental illness or mental health label we were given.
3. Accountability: We take responsibility for our actions, good or bad.
4. Make Amends: We ask forgiveness from those we have harmed either intentionally or unintentionally.
5. Prayer & Meditation: We set up a spiritual practice we can aspire to daily.
6. Help Others: We help others the same way we have been helped through this program.

THE 7 HEALTHY, ALL-NATURAL SOLUTIONS FROM LIFE:

1. Belief in God / Higher Power / Higher Purpose: We are powerless over the mental health label we or others give ourselves and so believing in something Greater than us is crucial to our mental health recovery as it jump starts most of our joy and healing. If believing in a Power Greater than Ourselves is difficult, we can substitute a Higher Purpose at first. 
2. Physical Health Check-Up– Visiting a natural doctor at least once or twice per year just to check up on our health is important. Taking our blood pressure and other tests can give us piece of mind that our body is healthy. If we need to lose weight, eat healthier, or exercise more a doctor can also tell us this information. In addition, one can go to a holistic registered dietitian or nutritionist for help with all natural vitamins or supplements a person can take to feel better. 
3. Healthy Diet – Eating healthy like fruits, vegetables, proteins, carbs, fats is important and good for us. Eating a varied, balanced diet, homecooked meals, limiting foods with a lot of sugar can improve our mental health and our life. 
4. Physical Activity – Exercising through cardio, strength training, stretching, or yoga at least 3-5 times per week either at home on a mat, at the gym, or outside can also help us recover from many mental health issues. Walking daily is a good start and can help us improve our physical health, body image, and self esteem. 
5. Keeping Up with Our Basic Hygiene and Cleanliness – Taking a shower, brushing our teeth, brushing our hair, washing our face, going to sleep on time, and waking up on time is all part of a self-care routine that enables us to feel good about ourselves. Washing our own laundry, folding, and putting it away, doing the dishes, sweeping or vacuuming our home also contributes to the order, organization, and cleanliness of our life. When our environment is decluttered, our mind tends to be decluttered as well. 
6. Doing a Spiritual Practice Daily like Prayer and Meditation – Prayer in the morning, afternoon, and evening to your Higher Power can help immensely with the daily stressors of life. Having a spiritual practice like being grateful to God for what we do have, or how God can help us in our life today can always put our mind at ease through the realization that we don’t have to do everything alone and faith in a Higher Power can help us. 
7. Support from Others: Support groups like this one are great ways to build and connect relationships with others. Talking to others, whether it’s a therapist, a special relationship, or peer support group can help us get outside of ourselves and not self-isolate. This is crucial for mental health recovery since it creates understanding, empathy, and love when we know now that we are not alone and can recover with the help of our friends and loved ones.  

THE 12 STEPS

THE FOUNDATION STEPS:

• I am powerless over my mental illness and my life has become unmanageable.
• I believe that a Power Greater than Myself can restore me to sanity.
• I turn my will and life over to that Power.

THE ACTION STEPS:

• I make an inventory of my resentments (what or who I am angry at) and my fears (what or who I am afraid of) and write it down: – Fear Accountability Worksheet – Resentment Accountability Worksheet – My Character Defects & Strengths
• I become ready and willing to give over my character defects to Higher Power
• I prepare myself to make amends to those people that I have harmed.

THE MAINTENANCE STEPS:

• I maintain my mental health through continuing to take inventory and making amends if needed.
• I continue to pray and meditate daily, to ask for the knowledge of God’s will for me and the Power to carry that out.
• I help others the same way that I was helped through this program.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS:

1. Waking Up Just In Time (A Therapist Shows How to Use the Twelve Steps Approach to Life’s Ups and Downs)
   Abraham J Twerski, MD
   Buy Here: https://amzn.to/3JOPeK2
2. Seek Sobriety, Find Serenity: 365 Daily Inspirations
   Abraham J Twerski, MD
   Buy Here: https://amzn.to/3yQdB3K
3. Toxic Psychiatry: Why Therapy, Empathy, and Love Must Replace the Drugs, Electroshock, and Biochemical Theories of the “New Psychiatry“
   Dr. Peter Breggin, MD
   Buy here: https://amzn.to/40lBwUG
4. Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal: A Guide for Prescribers, Therapists, Patients, and Their Families
   Dr. Peter Breggin, MD
   Buy Here: https://amzn.to/40fwYis