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Psych Services, LLC, Mesa, AZ (2026)

06/25/2020

Mental Health and Substance Use individual, family, and couples therapy. Specializing in Trauma with EMDR. Alma School and Baseline. Call 602.402.4474.
Appointments in 5 days or less. Licensed Therapists

11/10/2016

Self-obsession is rooted in fear. One of the deepest fears many of us
share is that we will lose ourselves entirely. We are afraid to let go
of what we know about ourselves in order to change, afraid to let go
of our sense of ourselves in the world in order to meditate, afraid to
let go of our beliefs about our place in the world for fear we will
never fit anywhere. For many of us, letting ourselves go may be the
first step toward finding ourselves. We don't have to hold on so
tight. One of our members shares that "when I turn it over but don't
let go, I'm just upside-down." Letting go gives us the freedom to
right ourselves again, naturally and gradually, rather than forcing
ourselves into a mold of how we think we ought to be.
"Connection To The World Around Us-Living Clean The Journey Continues"

11/09/2016

December 9
Listening

"This ability to listen is a gift and grows as we grow spiritually.
Life takes on a new meaning when we open ourselves to this gift."

Basic Text pg. 102
Have you ever watched two small children carry on a conversation? One
will be talking about purple dragons while the other carries on about
the discomfort caused by having sand in one's shoes. We sometimes
encounter the same communication problems as we learn to listen to
others. We may struggle through meetings, trying desperately to hear
the person sharing while our minds are busy planning what we will say
when it's our turn to speak. In conversation, we may suddenly realize
that our answers have nothing to do with the questions we're being
asked. They are, instead, speeches prepared while in the grip of our
self-obsession.

Learning how to listen - really listen - is a difficult task, but one
that's not beyond our reach. We might begin by acknowledging in our
replies what our conversational partner is saying. We might ask if
there is anything we can do to help when someone expresses a problem.
With a little practice, we can find greater freedom from
self-obsession and closer contact with the people in our lives.

Just for today: I will quiet my own thoughts and listen to what
someone else is saying.

11/08/2016

November 8
Freed From Insanity

Do I believe it would be insane to walk up to someone and say, "May I
please have a heart attack or a fatal accident."

Basic Text p.23
We've heard it said that unless we're in love, we can't remember what
love feels like. The same could be said of insanity: Once we're freed
of it, we may forget how truly bizarre our insane thinking can be. But
to be grateful for the degree of sanity to which we've been restored
in Narcotics Anonymous, we need to remember just how truly insane
we've been.

Today, it may be bard to imagine saying something as ridiculous as,
"May I please have a heart attack or a fatal accident?" No one in
their right mind is going to ask for such things. And that's the
point. In our active addiction, we were not in our right mind. Each
day we practiced our addiction, we courted fatal disease, degradation,
exploitation, impoverishment, imprisonment, death by violence, even
death by sheer stupidity. In that context, the idea of asking for a
heart attack or a fatal accident doesn't sound all that far out.
That's how insane we've been.

The program, the fellowship, and our Higher power-together, they've
worked a miracle. The Second Step is not a vain hope - it is reality.
Knowing the degree of the insanity we've experienced, we can
appreciate all the more the miraculous Power that has restored us thus
far to sanity. For that, we are truly grateful.

Just for today: I will take some time to recall how insane I've been
while practicing my addiction. Then, I will thank my Higher Power for
the sanity that's been restored to my life.

11/05/2016

November 5
God's Guidance

"Our Higher power is accessible to us at all times. We receive
guidance when we ask for knowledge of God's will for us."

Basic Text p. 92
It's not always easy to make the right decision. This is especially
true for addicts learning to live by spiritual principles for the
first time. In addiction, we developed self-destructive, anti-social
impulses. When conflict arose, we took our cues from those negative
impulses. Our disease didn't prepare us to make sound decisions.

Today, to find the direction we need, we ask our Higher Power. We
stop; we pray; and, quietly, we listen within for guidance. We've come
to believe that we can rely on a Power greater than ourselves. That
Power is accessible to us whenever we need it. All we need do is pray
for knowledge of our God's will for u and the power to carry it out.

Each time we do this, each time we find direction amidst our
confusion, our faith grows. The more we rely on our Higher Power, the
easier it becomes to ask for direction: We've found the Power we were
lacking in our addiction, a Power that available to us at all times.
To find the direction we need to live fully and grow spiritually, all
we have to do is maintain contact with the God of our understanding.

Just for today: My Higher Power is a source of spiritual guidance
within me that I can always draw upon. When I lad direction today. I
will ask for knowledge of my Higher Power will.

11/04/2016

November 4

Exchanging Love

"...we give love because it was given so freely to us. New frontiers
are open to us as we learn how to love. Love can be the flow of life
energy from one person to another"

Basic Text pp. 100-101
Love given, and love received, is the essence of life itself. It is
the universal common denominator, connecting us to those around us.
Addiction deprived us of that connection, locking us within ourselves.

The love we find in the NA program reopens the world to us. It unlocks
the cage of addiction which once imprisoned us. By receiving love from
other NA members, we find out - perhaps for the first time - what love
is and what it can do. We hear fellow members talk about the sharing
of love, and we sense the substance it lends to their lives.

We begin to suspect that, if giving and receiving love means so much
to others, maybe it can give meaning to our lives, too. We sense that
we are on the verge of a great discovery, yet we also sense that we
won't fully understand the meaning of love unless we give ours away.
We try it, and discover the missing connection between ourselves and
the world.

Today, we realize that what they said was true: "We keep what we have
only by giving it away."

Just for today: Life is a new frontier for me, and the vehicle I will
use to explore it is love. I will give freely the love I have
received.

11/03/2016

November 3
No Matter What

"We eventually have to stand on our own feet and face life on its own
terms, so why not from the start."

Basic Text p.85
Some of us feel that we should protect newcomers by telling them that,
while everything used to be horrible, now we're in recovery it's all
wonderful. We feel that we might scare someone away if we speak of
pain or difficulties, broken marriages, being robbed, and the like. In
a sincere and well-intentioned desire to carry the message, we tend to
talk glowingly only about what's going well in our lives.

But most newcomers already suspect the truth, even if they've only
been clean for a few days. Chances are that the "life on life's terms"
the average newcomer is experiencing is quite a bit more stressful
than what the average old-timer deals with each day. If we do manage
to convince a newcomer that everything becomes rosy in recovery, we
had better make sure we are there to support that newcomer when
something goes wrong in his or her life.

Perhaps we simply need to share realistically about how we use the
resources of Narcotics Anonymous to accept "life on life's terms,"
whatever those terms may be on any given day. Recovery, and life
itself, contain equal parts of pain and joy. It is important to share
both so the newcomer can know that we stay clean no matter what.

Just for today: I will be honest with the newcomers I share with and
let them know that, no matter what life brings, we never have to use
drugs again.

11/02/2016

November 2

Living With Unresolved Problems

"It makes a difference to have friends who care if we hurt."

Basic Text p.54
For most of our problems, the solution is simple. We call our sponsor,
pray, work the steps, or go to a meeting. But what about those situations
where the burden is ongoing and there's no end in sight?

Most of us know what it's like to live with a painful situation - a problem
that just isn't going to disappear. For some of us, the problem is an
incurable, life-threatening illness. Some of us have incorrigible children.
Some of us find that our earnings simply don't cover our living expenses.
Some of us care for a chronically ill friend or family member.

Those of us who have ever had to live with an unresolved problem know the
relief that comes from just talking about our problem with our recovering
friends. We may get some comic relief. Our friends may commiserate or cry
in sympathy. Whatever they do, they ease our burden. They may not be able
to solve our problem for us or take away our painful feelings, but just
knowing that we are loved and cared about makes our problems bearable. We
never have to be alone with our pain again.

Just for today: Those problems I can't resolve can be made bearable by
talking to a friend. Today, I will call someone who cares.

10/31/2016

October 31
Our Relationship With A Higher Power

"Ongoing recovery is dependent on our relationship with a loving God
who cares for us and will do for us what we find impossible to do for
ourselves."

Basic Text, p.96
Working the Twelve Steps of Narcotics Anonymous gives us a fresh start
in life and some guidance for living in the world. But the steps are
more than a fresh start. When we do our best to work the steps, we
develop a relationship with our personal Higher Power.

In the Third Step, we decide to allow a loving God to influence our
lives. Much of the courage, trust, and willingness we need to continue
through the succeeding steps comes from this decision. In the Seventh
Step, we go even further by asking this Higher Power to change our
lives. The Eleventh Step is a way for us to improve the relationship.

Recovery is a process of growth and change in which our lives are
renewed. The Twelve Steps are the roadmap, the specific directions we
take in order to continue in recovery. But the support we need to
proceed with each step comes from our faith in a Higher Power, the
belief that all will be well. Faith gives us courage to act. Each step
we work is supported by our relationship with a loving God.

Just for today: I will remember that the source of my courage and
willingness is my relationship with my Higher Power.

10/28/2016

October 28
Attitudes

"We can also use the steps to improve our attitudes."

Basic Text, p.53
Ever have a day when everything seems to be working against you? Do
you go through periods when you are so busy taking people's
inventories you can barely stand yourself? What about when you find
yourself snapping at your co-worker or loved one for no reason? When
we find ourselves in this bleak frame of mind, we need to take action.

At any point in the day, we can set aside a few moments and take a
"spot inventory." We examine how we are reacting to outside situations
and other people. When we do, we may find that we are suffering from a
plain old "bad attitude." A negative outlook can hurt our relationship
with our Higher Power and the people in our lives. When we are honest
with ourselves, we frequently find that the problem lies with us and
our attitude.

We have no control over the challenges life gives us. What we can
control is how we react to those challenges. At any point in time, we
can change our attitude. The only thing that really changes in
Narcotics Anonymous is us. The Twelve Steps give use the tools to move
out of the problem and into the solution.

Just for today: Throughout the day, I will check my attitude. I will
apply the steps to improve it.

10/27/2016

October 27

Living In The Present

"We want to look our past in the face, see it for what it really was, and release it so we can live today."

Basic Text, p.28
For many of us, the past is like a bad dream. Our lives aren't the same any more, but we still have fleeting, highly charged emotional memories of a really uncomfortable past. The guilt, fear, and anger that once dominated us may spill into our new life, complicating our efforts to change and grow.

The Twelve Steps are the formula that helps us learn to put the past in its place. Through the Fourth and Fifth Steps, we become aware that our old behavior didn't work. We ask a Higher Power to relieve us of our shortcomings in the Sixth and Seventh Steps, and we begin to be relieved of the guilt and fear that plagued us for so many years. In the Eighth and Ninth Steps, by making amends, we demonstrate to others that our lives are changing. We are no longer controlled by the past. Once the past loses its control over us, we are free to find new ways to live, ways that reflect who we truly are.

Just for today: I don't have to be controlled by my past. I will live this new day as the new person I am becoming.

10/26/2016

October 26
The Path To Self-Acceptance

"The most effective means of achieving self-acceptance is through
applying the Twelve Steps of recovery."

IP No.19, "Self-Acceptance"
Our addiction has been a source of shame to many of us. We have hidden
ourselves from others, sure that if anyone got to know who we really
were they would reject us. NA helps us learn self-acceptance.

Many of us find a great deal of relief just from attending meetings,
hearing fellow addicts share their stories, and discovering that
others have felt the same way we feel about ourselves. When others
share honestly with us who they are, we feel free to do the same. As
we learn to tell others the truth about ourselves, we learn to accept
ourselves.

Self-disclosure, however, is only the beginning. Once we've shared the
things that make us uncomfortable with our lives, we need to find a
different way to live - and that's where the steps come in. We develop
a concept of a Higher Power. We inventory our lives, in detail, and
discuss our inventory with our sponsor. We ask the God of our
understanding to remove our character defects, the shortcomings that
are the source of our troubles. We take responsibility for the things
we've done and make amends for them. And we incorporate all these
disciplines into our daily lives, "practicing these principles in all
our affairs."

By working the steps, we can become people we are proud to be. We can
freely tell the truth about ourselves, for we have nothing to hide.

Just for today: I will walk the path to self-acceptance. I will show
up, tell the truth, and work the steps.

Psych Services, LLC

06/25/2020

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