When Avoidance Becomes Protection—and a Prison Denial is a psychological defense mechanism in which a person avoids confronting a painful reality by refusing to acknowledge its existence. While denial can temporarily protect us from overwhelming emotions, it often keeps us stuck, disconnected, and unable to grow. One of the most common and subtle forms of denial is the denial of our need for others . When safe, nurturing relationships were unavailable or unsafe early in life,

Finding Freedom Through Surrender When we accept the first principle of recovery and step out of denial into reality, a humbling truth becomes clear: there are very few things we truly control. This realization can feel frightening at first, but it is actually the beginning of freedom. Admitting our powerlessness does not mean giving up. It means stopping the exhausting attempt to control what we were never meant to manage on our own. When we acknowledge our limits, we no lon

Mania  is an excitement of psychotic proportions that shows itself through mental and physical hyperactivity, disorganization of behavior, and an elevated mood that feels impossible to slow down. In the realm of emotional and spiritual growth, mania is not always the clinical diagnosis we hear about in psychiatry. Sometimes it shows up in subtle, everyday ways — especially among people who are trying hard not  to need anything. Many people stay intensely busy because slowing

Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for harm I’ve done to others — except when doing so would harm them or others. “Happy are those who are merciful to others.”“Happy are those who work for peace.” Choice 6 is about relational repair . Today we courageously look at the broken places between us and other people — not to judge ourselves, not to regret our past — but to evaluate  our patterns honestly so we can heal. This ch

Reaction formation  is a defense mechanism in which a person behaves in the exact opposite  way of what they truly feel, want, or need. It’s not usually intentional — it is an unconscious strategy the mind uses to protect itself from feelings that feel dangerous, shameful, or too vulnerable to acknowledge. What Reaction Formation Looks Like Someone who feels deeply lonely may present themselves as fiercely independent.S omeone who longs for connection may preach against “need

The Transformation Choice Voluntarily submit to every change God wants to make in my life and humbly ask Him to remove my character defects. Many of us have lived the cycle: You start a diet… and then fall off. You leave an unhealthy relationship… then drift into another one. You quit smoking… then pick it up again. You stay away from gambling… and then fall right back in. We return to the old patterns we hate, not because we want to, but because our autopilot is still progra

Projection is a psychological defense mechanism in which we attribute our own thoughts, feelings, or unmet needs to someone else. Instead of acknowledging what is happening inside of us, we “project” it outward onto others. For example: A person who feels inadequate may accuse others of judging them. A caretaker may meet their own needs vicariously by projecting them onto others, rather than honestly owning their desires or limitations. Projection is subtle, and most of the t

✨ CHOICE 4: Openly Examine and Confess My Faults “Openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God, and to someone I trust.” A pure heart is a free heart—a heart no longer weighed down by guilt, shame, or the secrets we’ve tried to hide. Purity isn’t perfection. It’s honesty. It’s courage. It’s the willingness to stop running from our past and finally bring everything into the light. Choice 4 is where true freedom begins. ⭐ What Guilt Does to Us Guilt slowly destroys us

Earnestly Believe That God Exists, That I Matter to Him, and That He Has the Power to Help Me Recover “Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”  — Matthew 5:4 “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”  — Philippians 2:13 Understanding Step 2 No matter how hard we try to keep everything under control, we eventually discover that we are powerless to control our tendency to do wrong and that our lives are unmanageab

Length:  1.5 hours (adaptable 60–120 min) Group size:  10–15 participants For Facilitators The Campfire Group  is a symbolic, experiential session designed to help participants release old stories, identities, or patterns  that no longer serve them—and to begin imagining who they are becoming. Fire has long been a universal symbol of transformation, renewal, and purification . Around a campfire, we connect with something ancient: the warmth of community and the courage to let