December, 2021
Volume 2, Issue 8

Quick Tip of theMonthStrength & Hope
A message in support of emotional well-being.

Letting the people
around me talk when all
I want to do is express
my opinion is a free gift
I can give.

EA’s Role during the Holidays — Paul N.
At their best, the holidays can bring people together. They’re an opportunity
for friends and family to express love and celebrate relationships. Some will
express love through hugs and kisses, while others may bring gifts or contribute homemade dishes. Not everybody has a place to go, and even those Your Trustees
who do may still feel dispirited amongst the festivities because the feelings Paul N.— TX
that may haunt us during the year (sadness, grief, anxiety etc.) don’t miraculously disappear when the holidays arrive. People experiencing these emo- 929-399-6515
tions are susceptible to feeling especially “in the dumps” because on top of aibtikarfoundation@gmail.com
President
their normal feelings, they may feel out of place given the jubilant moods
not only at holiday gatherings, but on commercials and in stores that celeSteve B.— CA
brate holiday sales. This is when the consistency of EA comes into play.
909-438-4938
stevebell_28@yahoo.com
The benefits of EA are most apparent when members work the program
consistently; the same Steps, Today readings and slogans that have served Vice President
members well in the past remain the same. Fortunately, people have more
Colleen C.— MN
options than ever to share in fellowship, be it in person, video or over the651-245-5461
phone. We might not feel that we need to share and be heard every week,
but it is good to have the option during the holidays and throughout the year coyne2003@hotmail.com
Secretary
as we want it. It’s difficult to overstate the positive impact that repeatedly
working the Steps with the fellowship can have on our emotional health.
Derita P.— OH
On that note, it is urgent for me to bring up sustaining giving. The financesof the organization have been volatile for years. In fiscal 2020, we lost
$26,000. That narrowed to less than $2,000 in 2021, which was encouraging. But since July, our deficit for this fiscal year has widened again to over
$14,000 in just 4 months. At this pace, we would face a deficit of over
$40,000 for the year, which would render the organization obsolete within
two years. Most of the short fall is due to a 50% decrease in donations compared with last year. Accordingly, I appeal to all who are able to begin giving to EA with regular, monthly contributions in whatever amount is manageable for you. In honor of the 50th Anniversary, we are giving small tokens of appreciation with the 50th Anniversary logo on it to those who decide to begin their monthly giving by the end of the year. Go to https://donorbox.org/emotionsanonymousinternational to set up your monthly gift.
Whether you are spending the holidays alone or gathered with loved ones,
my sincere hope is that you have a great end of the year and are able to takeadvantage of EA resources during the holidays and beyond.

216-624-3559
deritapippen@gmail.com
Treasurer
John W.— MN
612-760-0313
johnwerner52@gmail.com
Kelsey W.— IL
618-334-6658
knlweez@gmail.com
Behzad Arabpour Dahouei —Iran0098 913 341 4015
Behzad_7761@yahoo.com

A 50 Year EA Journey — David K.
December’s Tools
for Recovery
Step 12
Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps,
we tried to carry this message,
and to practice these principles
in all our affairs.
Promise 12
We realize that God is doing for
us what we could not do ourselves.
Just for Today 5
I choose to believe that I canlive this one day.
Slogan 12
I have a choice
Helpful Concept 12
Part of the beauty and wonder of the EA program is thatat meetings we can say anything and know it stays there.
Anything we hear at a meeting, on the telephone, orfrom another member is confidential and is not to be repeated to anyone—EA members, mates, families, relatives or friends.
Tradition 12Anonymity is the spiritual
foundation of our traditions,ever reminding us to placeprinciples before personalities
Principle 12ServiceIn November, 1971 I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital for thethird time in seven years. Previous hospitalizations (one preceded bya suicide attempt resulting in a coma from which doctors thought I
would not emerge) had included numerous shock treatments. Thattime, I confronted my good doctor and he very reluctantly gave me
the prognosis that he believed, “I would probably be in and out of
psychiatric hospitals every few years for the rest of my life.”
About this time I saw an ad on TV for Neurotics Anonymous and got

permission from the hospital to attend. I have been attending eversince. I have not been back in the hospital since 1971, have notsought professional care since 1973, and have not taken medication
since 1973. (All of these resources were helpful, but through theSteps and the meetings I began to move beyond them.) To be honest, I worked the program backwards; by trying to carry the message, I had a spiritual awakening. Through prayer and meditation(praying that God make Himself real to me, and I be led to spiritualrebirth) and by studying all the religions of the world I put together
my own personalized concept of God that explained why I am here,
why I suffered the way I did, what is God’s will for me now.
Over the years I have started or helped to start at least eight NA,
EHA, EA, and OA meetings, have been on 7 radio talk shows, 1 TV
show (with face blanked out and with fake names), did one interview with a major newspaper, helped plan parties, dinners, and evena camping trip for the groups, made numerous phone calls, and put
out numerous announcements and flyers about the meetings. I did
all of this because in 1972 I made a deal with God that I would
do anything for Him if only He would heal me! I was desperate!
I also began writing a book in 1972 about my spiritual adventures inand outside of the Program. Perhaps it is God’s will that the book bepublished one day, or perhaps it never will. It is like a carrot attached to a pole and a string in front of me to motivate me onward!
In any case, it has been a lot of fun for me over the years.
You can find the Trustee Reflections on the website,www.emotionsanonymous.org.
This month we focus on Step 12.
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Contribution Gratitude

There is Hope — Lynn A.

EAI could not operate without donations and we deeply appreciate yoursupport! Recent gifts have been received from these groups:

Before finding recovery, hope was a dangerous idea. Itled to disappointment and depression. I had no positive
coping skills, so the skills I did have made most attempts
at dreaming big disastrous.

Midwest City, OKAlhambra, CA
2 Ukiah, CA Groups
Burbank, IL
Colorado Springs, CO Mesquite, TX
Middleburg Heights, OH
Elgin, IL
3 Bend, OR Zoom Groups Mesa, AZ
Doylestown, PA
Norman, OK
Tues Virginia Beach, VA
Edmonton, AB Canada
Summerside, PE Canada

Recovery taught me that hope meant all things are possible. Go ahead, dream big. To not stunt my own growthby never taking risks. To not submarine my progress byfears of failure or success. There is hope.

In Memory of:

Hope is an essential emotion, whose value seems toknow no bounds. When I anchor hope to a solid foundation of recovery, I experience optimism and joy for what
may be ahead of me. I look forward to what may beahead and turn away from fear. I stay grounded in reality, but dream as big as I want to.
Today, I will dare to dream, to entertain my inner child.

Chris Drew, Apple Valley(Burnsville), MN GroupIt Really Does Work — Zoe B.
Administrative NewsAs year-end approaches, we naturally
look back at all that has happened in
the past 12 months. Here at EAI
we’ve had staff changes. Carleen retired in June and we miss her greatly!
Karen and Sharon joined us, working
Carleen’s 12 hours between them.
They are a terrific asset, as they know
the program and work efficiently toget materials out to members.
Claire and Sandy continue to do a herculean job of managing the orders andaccounting, the member database, social media, and website. The membership is very fortunate to have all ofthese folks working on their behalf.
My hope for the coming year is that
we continue to share this program
more widely so more people can benfit from it, that we see more members
support it financially so we may continue to expand globally, and we all
work to make it a stronger programthat helps everyone.

I was struggling to find a program. I attended different 12
Step program, but none worked for me. Eventually, I
found EA.

That didn’t mean everything was fixed. I struggled to truly
surrender and to keep involved. When I read the books, Isaw a glimmer of hope, but it all sounded like a farce. After the first month of attending an EA meeting, I am not adifferent person, rather a changed person. The neurons inmy brain have rearranged ever so slightly, but in just theright ways. This morning, I read ‘moving in the right direction” in the EA book. As I was reading it, I found that I
now had the beliefs written there.
I know I am on the right bud. I am determined to let go of
my old ways, and I know I am among people who understand. I now have a sponsor and I began to call people. I
am feeling that I can overcome any difficult emotion thatcomes my way since I have support and people to talk to.

Office Information
EAI P.O. Box 4245 St. Paul MN 55104-0245
Office Hours: TU-TH 12p.m. (noon) — 5 p.m. CT
Phone: 651-647-9712
www.emotionsanonymous.org
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