Friday, March 23, 2012

Support Groups

I've been doing a lot of thinking about support groups lately.  I had been tossing around the idea of starting a local pagan support group and now have the extra time in my schedule to do that. 

I know  a lot of pagans really aren't comfortable at AA with their focus on a "higher power" that really fits the Judeo-Christian idea of a higher power.  I am one of those people who just couldn't seem to fit in with the AA people at the meetings I tried.  I just didn't feel like my beliefs were accepted and valued as were the more mainstream beliefs.

I also tried Save Our Sobriety where I felt much more comfortable.  This is a sober support group for atheists and agnostics basically.  They try to do sober without any reference to a higher power.  I was more comfortable here than at AA, I didn't feel like an outsider at the SOS meetings, but I did want someplace where it was acceptable to talk about my faith and its role in my sobriety.

So what I am hoping to do, is start up a Pagan Support Group that is a combination of the best of both of these programs.  Since so many people who suffer from substance abuse issues also have some type of mental or emotional imbalance I want those who feel that is their primary issue to feel welcome.  There are also many who have suffered from abuse, I want them to feel welcome also.

I'm hoping to establish a group that is there to support people trying to get better, regardless of their tradition or even whether or not they actively practice.  I really would like a group that will help us to help ourselves without judging or preaching at each other; one that is not a meat market, one that people don't use just as a place to come dump how unhappy they are even though they're not really trying to change.  I know, a certain amount of that is bound to happen, but hopefully very little.

Our first meeting is tonite, just so I can see how many people are interested and what type of group everyone else is looking for.  Goddess willing, we'll all be able to help each other and give each other strength.

Blessed Be!

That would be the ideal.  Now if we can just start a group like that

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