The EA Connection: August 2018Your monthly newsletter from ISC
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EA Tools for Recovery
Step 8: Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
Promise 8: Our whole attitude and outlook upon life changes.
Slogan 8: Know yourself-be honest.
Just for Today 8:
Concept 8:
Tradition 8: Emotions Anonymous should remain forever non-professional, but our service center may
employ special workers.

Handling Disruption
Handling Disruption to Maintain Group Serenity is pamphlet number 62. I’m glad that we have this guidebecause we do want serenity in our groups. We have many groups that report to us trustees that there areproblems in their meetings. I believe that by reviewing this literature we can address some of these groupproblems.
Having said that, I think that the source of our problem with groups losing their serenity is this. We have aloss of serenity at the group level because we are not handling the disruption individually. Personally I disrupt and rob groups of serenity when I have a lack of serenity in my life and I have allowed disruption to bepresent. My anxiety is the biggest disruptor. I’m always on the alert. My fault-finding and fear of rejection
because I think I’m not good enough is a disruptor. When that thought is active I am looking to see if I’m doing something wrong or if someone else is doing something wrong or if someone thinks I’m wrong.
The best thing to do with disruption is to disrupt it. If disruption wants to be present I can recognize it and I
can stop it by being at peace. I can recognize that there is nothing wrong and I’m not wrong and neither areyou.
As a trustee I hear about groups growing and getting healthy. They are bringing order and calm to disruptive
moments. They are focusing on the program’s principles to bring peace. It’s my opinion that when we stickwith the principles of the program, even if we understand these principles in ways that are a break from thepast way of doing things, we can find more individual and group serenity. In some ways, in a positive movement, our spiritual principles can be disrupting of the disruption, helping us to be the strongest program possible for a world desperately in need of healing and support...Scott J, Vice-president, EA Board of Trustees

Specials Gifts and Memorials
We provide this space for memorials and special gift to EA.
We thank you for your many contributions this past year.
Current memorials will be acknowledged in September.

Recovery using the Tools of EA
Step 8: Made a list of all
persons we had harmed,
and became willing to
make amends to them all.
“Step 8 is about whom we haveharmed, not who has harmed us.”
—EA’s Big Book
As I reflect on the benefits of making
amends, the first thing that comesto mind is that it’s as much about
bringing peace to my own life as it isabout repairing relationships withanother person or making things
right with the other person.
I like to use the phrase “so I cansleep at night” in conjunction withmany things—apologizing is one ofthem. I like making amends because
somehow I feel it keeps my life inbalance. I also like it because I like“keeping my slate clean.”
The more I practice making amends,the easier it is for me to do it. And I
really, really like the way it disarms
another. Whenever I am having afight with my wife and we’ve goneback and forth about trivial stuff fora while, I finally just apologize andtell her “you win.” It’s so freeing.
Sometimes when I do that, it’s almost like she doesn’t know what todo. In fact, sometimes, It really frustrates her—like she WANTS me tokeep fighting with her. When I apologize and “give up” it almost makes
her madder.

Making amends is just such a freeing, exhilarating thing to do...Chris
Some of the people on my 8th step
list were my mom, dad and siblings.
I had not seen my dad since I was 7years old. I had been wanting to find
my dad, thanks to 12 step recovery.

I was able to locate him and gave acall. A lady answered and I asked for
my dad. She put him on the phone. I
told him he may want to sit down
while I talk to him and told him I was
his daughter. I am glad I got to talkto him before he passed away a couple years later from a heart attack.

My mom was on my 8th step list
and I wound up making amends toher for not talking with her for a few
years. With my siblings, I madeamends with them the best I could
and was involved in their lives foryears. We drifted apart a bit, but still
stay in touch by emails or phone
calls.
I have some people on my list that I
never will see again most likely, but I
wrote them letters of amends if I
ever do see them. I also practice"living amends" by changing my behavior. I had to change my behaviors of being angry all the time andacting out. Of being too overly dependent on relatives for my wellbeing. Of isolating. I am grateful EA
helped me with these things.

Step 8 is just making the list of people we have harmed. Just putting
their names on the list helped mesee how I would like to approachamends in Step 9. Talking things
over with my sponsor helped mewith how I wanted to make amends
and if I was actually "ready" to go
through with it. I had to practiceforgiveness lots before I could makesome amends.
And lastly, my name went on thelist. I had harmed myself in many
ways, particularly hanging out withabusive persons. So my amend tome is to hang out with kinder persons, also my amends to me is to do

better self-care. The better I takecare of myself by going to meetings,
eating right, exercising and being
responsible in my life, the easier it is
to interact with others.
The more I love and accept myself, it
is easier to love and accept others. I
think the more I forgive myself forharms I did, and do "living amends"
by not doing those harms again, it iseasier to forgive others, whether
they change or not. It is my job tonot live in hatred and anger at others. There is a Higher Source whowill judge others, I don't have to be
the judge any longer. ...Connie

Promise 8:

I´m aware of subtle changes afterworking the EA program for manyyears, regarding my attitudes andfocus on every aspect of my life suchas to manage with more wisdom,courage and personal power in every kind of relationships. To have lessexpectations
witheverything/
everyone. To have more trust andfaith when going through a painfulprocess. To really feel that, withGod´s support, love, patience andhelp, I can deal with everything. To
continually choose the limits withthe people I connect with. To identify my natural instincts, feelings andemotions, with more awareness. To
experience the finitude of everything and everyone, with more simplicity, faith and trust. To feel adeeper dimension of one day at atime, in every moment, in every circumstance. And, to keep on healing
my deep instincts, emotional habits,
feelings, attitudes, behaviors...LuzDiscovering the tools of EA
Hope through EA
I live in a country where mental illness is a major contributor to many human beings. I work a 12 Step program foremotional illness through Emotions Anonymous. We have been blessed by various folks who have shared their recovery through the writing of the EA Big Book, lots of different literature describing the various emotional parts of life, a
meditation book—Today and finally a how to book— It Works if you Work it.
I am very grateful for all those souls who have passed through this program and left a piece of themselves through theexperiences, strength and hope they have found working this program.
I attend local EA meetings which have had lots of people pass through it's doors that have provided me with evidenceof what works and what does not work. I do know that having a sponsor, attending meetings and reading EA literature
are all very helpful in dealing with my depression and other various emotional problems which I encountered from running into other folks and living one day at a time. I'm writing these things because you and I are miracles.... We are thatbecause we are here and dealing with our recovery one day at a time....
A friend of mine called me last night, she had come home from Florida during the afternoon, went to a dinner
meeting, had a stroke and woke up 6 weeks later to find out what had happened. Needless to say she is encountering
lots of different emotions including fear of when it's going to happen again, anger at why did this happen to me. andnow has suffered some deep depression and her life is spinning out of control.
She has gone to therapy, taken medication and has reached out to ministers and others. She has asked lots of organizations for help and no one referred her to EA. She has gone to AA meetings, Coda meetings and on and on looking forhelp. She finally recalled that I was involved in a program for mental illness and called me for help. I listened andthought to myself how we have hidden our light under a bushel basket and all this help is here for the good people
who suffer so badly with their emotions but can't find us because the various leaders of our communities do not know
we are here.
I was talking with my neighbor yesterday and he is a mental health professional who has lost his job because the programs he was part of have lost their funding. Other organizations are running out of money. Medicaid which covers
many who have emotional problems because of various addictions and such is cutting back on what they are paying
these organizations which has caused many problems for those enrolled as well as those who provide the service...
During my many years of being in this program and having served as it's President of EA with the excellent help of Karen M who was our Executive Director for over 25 years we attempted to carry this message to those we could. I remember we had a letter published in the newspapers through Dear Abby which drove a lot of people our way, butalas, our organization is dying for lack of support and our members are old like me who don't carry the message ofhope as well as we did when we first found our way here....
The lady referenced about has reached out to her minster. He said he had not heard of us. He went to the website andsaid to her that he has a lot of people who need this program.. Getting the right people to admit they have a program
who are connected within our towns and organization will carry the message lots better than putting up bill boards...
People to people carrying the message of hope., for us older members to remember we are the billboard for those who are troubled as we were when we
first began, there is HOPE.... and we don't need to hide this hope.... Paul H2017 - 2018 EA Board of Trustees
Please feel free to contact members of the Board with questions or concerns
Gus S, AZ 602-319-3890 schloessergus@gmail.com President
Scott J, MN 507-276-0323 sdjakel@gmail.com Vice President/Treasurer
John W, MN 612-760-0313 johnwerner52@gmail.com Secretary

The 12 Principles—Responsibility
In the early 1950’s Twelve Step groups began informally sharing what has become known as the Principles of the 12Steps. Each step has a corresponding principle that one can keep in mind when working the steps. Below members
share how responsibility factors into Step 8 for them.

Step 8 Made a list of all persons we had harmed,and became willing to make amends to them all.
In Step 8 we made a list of all persons we had harmed and become willing to make amends to them. This implies that
we take on the responsibility of cleaning up the mess we’ve made. It’s much like what we did in Step 4: cleaning up
our side of the street, not someone else’s. When we honestly begin to take responsibility for our actions, our shortcomings, we gradually see the promises of the program being fulfilled in our lives. Somehow they no longer look as
extravagant as we had thought they were. For some, the promises come quickly while for others it might be a slow
process, but each of us begins to experience them. What a gift EA has been for me. Thank you Higher Power. ..Gus S

Being responsible means I can respond. When I’ve harmed others, I choose - by practicing Step 8 - I prepare to makeamends. The challenging thing is that sometimes it’s not my fault, yet I view myself as responsible - able to respond tohurt that they’ve felt through their interaction with me. I may not have intended for the people that I choose to makeamends to to be hurt. As a responsible person I make the distinction of this step by getting ready to make amends,
responding to their being hurt - whether I am to blame for their hurt or not...Scott J

Today Book August 11
The program teaches me to take care of myself. In the old days I was self-destructive. Now I care for myown well-being and nurture myself. If I am tired, I take time to rest or sleep. If I am lonely, I call a friend. I
say no to people-pleasing. If someone wants me to do something I know would be harmful to me, I do
not do it. I do not expect others to read my mind. When I need care, I take the responsibility for myself.

Of Importance to Groups
1—EA's Annual Membership Meeting will be held on Saturday, October 6, 2018 in Minnesota. Exact location

TBD and will be posted on the website soon. Participation will be possible in-person as well as over thephone and internet. More details to come.
2—Let ISC know if your planning a special event so we can put it on our online Events Calendar. Notices toElaine.
3—Correct information on the website listing is important!. Email Data Coordinator with updates.
4—The Loop (EAnon) is our online discussion forum. Click here more information on the Loop .
Emotions Anonymous,™ PO Box 4245, St Paul, MN 55104,
Hours Mon—Thurs: 10 to 3:30, Phone 651-647-9712, Fax 651-647-1593
director@emotionsanonymous.org
groupdata@emotionsanonymous.org orders@emotionsanonymous.org
editor@emotionsanonymous.org

info@emotionsanonymous.org

shipping@emotionsanonymous.org