There is a new peer group forming on the Boothbay peninsula to support those who have been addicted to any substance or behavior -- whether opiates or alcohol or gambling, etc. This group is a non-12 Step support group, but is open to anyone who also participates in 12-step programs. We meet from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday evenings at the Community Center in the Meadow Mall (first door on the left in the corridor to the right of the Family Dollar store). This support group promotes "Inside Out" Thinking.

Living from the inside out; not the outside in: We believe that we are not broken. We don't need to be "fixed." We are all innately healthy.

Living Outside In: Sometimes, we perceive that outside circumstances, or people, or beliefs, or thoughts from our past, cause us to feel bad. But, the perception that circumstances, or people, or memories control our feelings is only an illusion.

Living Inside Out: As long as we realize that it is our thoughts that are causing us to feel whatever we are feeling in the moment, we can drop any thoughts that make us feel lousy and open ourselves to receive helpful insights from our natural wisdom.

The Three Principles

The Three Principles that Sydney Banks discovered over 40 years ago form an important foundation for our group. The Three Principles are Mind, Consciousness & Thought. Mind, Consciousness and Thought work together in harmony to create our experience of life. In this group, we study and learn about how our minds, consciousness and thought actually work in order to become free to live more completely in the now.

Our purpose is to grow spiritually –- to become better at living in the present moment and better at noticing that our own thoughts create our feelings and our experiences 100 percent of the time -- so we can spend more of our time experiencing life from the inside out.

Our Recovery & Resilience Support Group is intended to complement, not replace, twelve-step groups. We encourage you to attend other meetings that apply to your situation. We also encourage you to bring a friend to this or to other Recovery & Resilience meetings and to invite them to experience some of the benefits that can be gained from learning this philosophy. If you're free on Thursday afternoon at 2, you're also welcome to attend our other Three Principles Study Group which is called "Increase Inner Peace." It's held from 2 to 3 p.m. every Thursday at the Community Center.