Recovery International Welcome Packet

Welcome to our Recovery International Mutual Aid Page. If you are just
getting familiar with the Recovery Method you will need some of the
information that is normally given out at our face to face meetings. I have
put this packet together for you so that you can get familiar with the
program. Yes there is a lot of information here and you will need to learn it
at your own pace. In Recovery there are no must haves. Since you have
joined our group you are already among many wonderful members that will
assist you on your journey. Many are long time members and some are like
you and just getting started. No one is a master, we are all apprentices. Dr.
Low is the authority. Again, try not to allow yourself to get overwhelmed.
Instead give yourself a pat on the back which we in Recovery call self
endorsements for taking back your good mental health. Try to remember
there are no hopeless cases and you are no exception!

Note: Recovery does not replace medical care. In Recovery we are

encouraged to work with our professionals.

History of Dr. Low

Neuropsychiatrist Abraham Low, MD, graduated from the University of Strasbourg in 1913 and
completed medical school at the University of Vienna in 1919. He obtained his license to
practice psychoanalysis in 1922 in New York and in 1925 joined the staff at the University of
Illinois Medical School to teach neurology and do research in the field of histopathology.

In January 1931, Low became head of staff at the University of Illinois Psychiatric Institute and
went on to establish Recovery, Inc. in 1937.

Read about the life and times of Low in My Dear Ones, his biography.

Recovery International offers meetings to men and women of all ages that ease the suffering
from mental health issues by gaining skills to lead more peaceful and productive lives. In the last
79 years RI has equipped over 1 million people with tools to control behavior and change
attitudes.

Mission Statement:
The mission of Recovery International is to use the cognitive-behavioral, peer-to-peer, self-help
training system developed by Abraham Low, MD, to help individuals gain skills to lead more
peaceful and productive lives.
What You Can Expect at a Recovery International (RI) Meeting
Meetings will start and end on time.
Please turn off your cell phone, pager or other communication device.
Meetings are facilitated by volunteer leaders trained to demonstrate the Recovery
International Method.
A Recovery International meeting is a safe place to share. All personal information
disclosed during meetings is held in strict confidence.
All Recovery International meetings follow a standard, structured format.
Written information will be distributed to help you understand and participate during
the meeting. Additional RI literature, membership information and materials will also
be available.
You may take notes on RI tools and principles during any portion of the meeting
EXCEPT during the giving of an example.
We encourage you to sit with the group and to participate. Until you are ready to
participate, simply say “I pass”.
We listen quietly and respectfully when others are reading and speaking.
We do not use offensive language.
We don’t offer advice, criticize, judge, analyze or make negative comments.
We keep comments and spotting tools brief in order to have time for all to
participate.
You will have an opportunity to ask questions or make comments.
We don’t discuss politics, sex, religion, or legal issues in our meetings.
We are not mental health experts or trained professionals. We are people who
practice the RI self-help techniques. We don’t diagnose, comment or advise on
diagnoses, treatment plans or your medications.
Drinking any non-alcoholic beverage is permitted during a meeting but eating is
restricted to the Mutual Aid portion of the meeting.
Thanks for coming and we encourage you to come again.
If you have questions, comments or concerns call:
Recovery International Frequently Asked Questions
Is Recovery International a 12-step program?
The Recovery International system is not a 12-step program. Experience has shown no
conflict between the two programs, and that they can be used simultaneously if
necessary in a person’s specific situation.

When can I expect to see results in my own life?

As you begin to practice the Recovery International self-help tools, you will begin to see
situations in a different light. All training takes time. The best way to encourage adaption
of the tools in your life is through attending community meetings, phone meetings
and/or online meetings, where you can learn from other experiences.

Are Recovery International group leaders mental health professionals?

No. Group Leaders are your peers. Leaders have all practiced the Recovery
International system in their lives. Leaders receive ongoing training and are authorized
annually.

How do I learn to give examples?

You will learn primarily from listening to others give their examples, by following the
Example Outline sheet and using the Sampling of Tools and Terms. The Group Leader
will help you, when you are ready, by reading each of the four steps as you give your
first example.

Can I take notes?

Notes may be taken at any point during the meeting except when examples are being
given. This assures the example-giver that no one is writing down the details of the
situation being related.

Can I talk to someone from my group between meetings?

Ask the group leader for contact information for the person or people in the group who
are willing to take phone calls for assistance between meetings.
Where can I get the books?
The main texts, Mental Health Through Will Training, Manage Your Fears Manage
Your Anger, Selections From Dr. Low’s Works and other materials can be purchased
at lowselfhelp-systems.org.

How many different meetings may I attend?

You are welcome to attend any available meetings. You can find meeting locations at
www.lowselfhelpsystems.org
About Recovery International
Recovery International was the first self-help system aimed at those suffering from
mental and nervous disorders and symptoms. Dr. Abraham Low started it over 70 years
ago. He developed the RI Method working with his patients over a 15-year period.
Called a cognitive-behavioral therapy program today, it offered a ground-breaking
method to help its members regain and maintain their mental health.
Recovery International today offers hundreds of weekly meetings across the United
States, as well as in Canada, Ireland, Puerto Rico, Spain, Israel, India, Pakistan, and
the United Kingdom.

Telephone meetings are also held, which are convenient for those who don’t live near
weekly meeting locations or who can’t get out easily. Some people attend both types of
meetings. Tens of thousands of people have used and continue to use the RI Method to
live a healthy, peaceful life.

Group leaders and facilitators have been specially trained in order to maintain
consistency in structure and content within a group and from group to group.

Consistency is important so that you can go to a group meeting anywhere and join right
in.

Recovery International has no religious affiliation. Attending RI meetings does not

replace professional care and therapy. RI is not a 12-step program. Members can
participate in both RI and a 12-step program. RI deals with symptoms, not diagnoses.
RI members are referred to groups in many ways – by other members, by physicians
and therapists, by agencies and other groups, for example.

The RI Method has worked and continues to work for many thousands of people. It
consists of easy-to-learn techniques and tools for changing the way we react to people
and situations we have no control over. Additionally, members learn how to identify and
manage negative thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and behaviors that can lead to emotional
distress and related physical symptoms.

People who stick with the RI Method are able to live healthy, productive lives with lower
levels of tension, anger, fear, anxiety, compulsions, stress, and other symptoms.
Three Actions That Lead to Success in RI
Learning the RI Method
You can learn the RI Method in many ways.
• Attending these training sessions is a good way to begin the learning process.
• You can also learn by reading books written by Dr. Low and other materials that
provide the vocabulary, tools, and steps needed to use the RI Method successfully.
• A prime way to learn is by attending regular Recovery International meetings, where
group members read selections from Dr. Low’s writings and learn from other members’
examples of how they are applying the RI Method when dealing with the stresses of
everyday life that trigger distressing symptoms, thoughts, and impulses.

Gaining Group Support

You’ll gain group support primarily from attending weekly RI meetings.

• At RI meetings group members can report and get feedback on their own efforts in
applying the RI Method to help change their thoughts and control their impulses in
reaction to normal everyday non-emergency situations that RI members refer to as
“trivialities.”
• Group members also can provide feedback and support to others as they give
examples of their use of the RI tools to help change their thoughts and control their
impulses in reaction to trivial situations.
• RI meeting attendees are all learning from each other – no matter how experienced
group members are, there is always something more to learn.
• At RI meetings:
We don’t teach, we demonstrate.
We don’t judge, we support each others’ efforts.

Three Actions That Lead to Success in RI (continued)

Practicing

The last step that leads to success in RI is practicing.

• As with everything, the more you practice applying the RI techniques and tools to help
change your thoughts and control your impulses, the better you get at doing so.
• As you attend and participate in meetings and learn to apply the RI techniques, you
will begin to see your challenges in a different light.
• For some people this begins to happen after just a few meetings; for others it can take
a few months.
• At meetings you will see people in different phases of regaining and maintaining their
mental health.
• It’s the effort of using the RI Method that we focus on, not the results.
• We are not trying to be perfect; we are just trying to do the best we can to recognize
what triggers our distressing thoughts and impulses and to apply the RI techniques that
allow us to remain calm and not work ourselves up.
The Two Faces of Temper
Fearful Temper:
NEGATIVE JUDGMENTS directed oneself in nuances of:
Discouragement, Embarrassment, Preoccupation, Hopelessness, Despair, Worry,
Sense of shame, Feelings of inadequacy

Angry Temper:
NEGATIVE JUDGMENTS directed against another person or situation against
Resentment, Impatience, Indignation, Disgust, & Hatred,

Can you think of more? Can you think of more?

Temper can lead to, or be the result of:

• Temperamental deadlocks – quarreling over who is right and who is wrong in
everyday situations that can result in an angry standoff.
• Temperamental language – language that is alarming or defeating or results in
exaggerated, negative or insecure descriptions of experiences.
In RI, you will learn to identify – or spot – temper and substitute secure language for
temperamental language to change the way you react to and handle situations.

Temperamental Language

WHAT IS TEMPERAMENTAL LANGUAGE?

SHORT ANSWER: Any words or statements that increase fearful or angry temper.
What are some of those words?
1. Exaggerated descriptions of experiences
2. Negative descriptions of experiences
3. Insecure descriptions of experiences
4. Alarming language
5. Defeatist language
IS THAT ALL? NO! TEMPERAMENTAL LANGUAGE IS ALSO
gossip - it's almost always negative
teasing - it's meant to hurt
cursing - it's exaggerated and negative
foul words - same as cursing, exaggerated and negativeand...comparison - it almost
always expresses negative judgment:
"That person is better than me" (fearful temper)
or
"I am better than that person" (sovereignty, self-minded)
The Power of Self-Endorsement
Self-endorsement is self-praise – a mental pat on the back we give ourselves for any
effort we make to spot our temper and to control our words and actions.
In RI, we do not look for endorsement from others. We endorse ourselves.
We endorse ourselves for any effort we make to control how we think and act, whether
we are successful or not.
It’s the effort we focus on, not the result.

What are some efforts you can endorse yourself for today?

Averageness
In RI, averageness is fine. Average does not mean mediocre. It means balanced. It
means that we do not try to be exceptional. We understand that:
• Everyone experiences similar trivialities.
• Everyone has temper.
• Everyone gets tense and nervous to a degree.
It’s average to feel the impulse to lash out in anger or to avoid what we fear.
Our experiences are average, not exceptional, and our feelings and sensations are not
exceptional either. It’s only our tendency to work them up that makes them seem
exceptional to us.
We also do not put pressure on ourselves to always be able to react perfectly – no one
can. We want to set realistic goals – what we can achieve, not what’s impossible to
achieve.
We each have our own average. For example, some people are early risers and do their
best thinking in the morning. That is their average. Others do their best thinking in the
afternoon or late at night. That is their average.
We are all good at some things and not so good at others. Different people are good at
different things. In this way, too, we each have our own average.
What is one thing you are good at?

What is one thing you are not so good at?

It’s not really how good we are at something that’s important. What is important is our
effort – that we try to do our average best. We try to drop the judgment – of ourselves
and others.

Spotting
In RI, the term “spot” is used in two ways:
• To “spot” means to identify when we are having a temperamental reaction or symptom
and to remember an RI concept and use it to drop our temper or manage our
symptoms.
• A “spot” or “tool” is a short sentence that we use to help us remember an RI concept
and enable us to drop our temper and manage our symptoms.
There are many spots, or tools. You will learn them through practice.
Different tools apply to different situations. Different tools have different meanings to
different people.
There is no right or wrong way to use the tools; whatever works for you is appropriate.
A SAMPLING OF TOOLS AND TERMS A purpose for using a Tool List is to enable
newcomers to more easily and rapidly participate in a Recovery meeting. With this in mind
Recovery International encourages you to use this list when you initially attend our meetings,
until you feel comfortable without it. Your Group Leader may have other guidelines for you
regarding the use of this list in meetings. We are glad that you are here and encourage you to
participate and endorse for your participation!
These tools are quoted or adapted from Dr. Low’s books: Mental Health Through Will Training
(MH), Selections from Dr. Low’s Works (SEL) and Manage Your Fears, Manage Your Anger
(MYF). Citations to Dr. Low’s books are listed for each tool. Many other tools can be found in
these books.
Some Basic RI Tools
Treat mental health as a business and not as a game………………..…...……………MH ch.25
Humor is our best friend, temper is our worst enemy……………………………….…..MH p.108
If you can't change a situation you can change your attitude towards it...MYF p.108, Sel. p.31-32
Be self-led, not symptom-led. …..………………………………………......MYF p.114-118, 280-283
Nervous symptoms and sensations are distressing but not dangerous .SEL p.53, MH p.115, 119
Temper is, among other things, blindness to the other side of the story …………MH p.159
Comfort is a want, not a need. ………………………………..……………......….....MH chs.13, 22
There is no right or wrong in the trivialities of every day life………... SEL p.39, MH p.157, 195-196
Calm begets calm, temper begets temper………………………….…...…….MYF p.245, SEL p.31
Don't take our own dear selves too seriously………………………………....………….MH p.109
Feelings should be expressed and temper suppressed…………………....……...…....MH p.178
Helplessness is not hopelessness………………………..……………….……MH ch.7, MYF p.184
Some people have a passion for self-distrust…….…………...…..…….MH ch.29 & MYF Lecture 2
Temper maintains and intensifies symptoms………………………..…….……….……MH p. 219
Do things in part acts……………………………………………….…….……….……MH p.246-249
Endorse yourself for the effort, not only for the performance……...…….MYF p.13, SEL p.46, 132
Have the courage to make a mistake………………..……….MH p.203, ch.30, MYF p.60, SEL p.108
Feelings are not facts……………………………...……………..………….MH ch.9, MYF Lecture 14
Do the things you fear and hate to do……………...………..…………...MH p. 329-330, MYF p.197
Fear is a belief –– beliefs can be changed………………………………………….MYF p.266-269
Every act of self-control leads to a sense of self-respect....…………….…….………..MH p.166
Decide, plan and act. ………………………….……………………………………………...MH p.42
Any decision will steady you……………………………………...……………….………...MYF p.5
Anticipation is often worse than realization….…………………..…..………….MH p.114-115, 146
Replace an insecure thought with a secure thought……………..……….….……..MYF Lecture 1
Bear the discomfort in order to gain comfort…………………….………….…………….MH p.149
Hurt feelings are just beliefs not shared………………………………….………………..SEL p.21
Self-appointed expectations lead to self-induced frustrations…………….…………….SEL p.35
People do things that annoy us, not necessarily to annoy us………..…...…………….MH ch.48
Knowledge teaches you what to do, practice tells you how to do it……...……………SEL p.118
Muscles can be commanded to do what one fears to do………………………..……..SEL p.123
Tempers are frequently uncontrolled, but not uncontrollable.…………………………..MH p.392
SOME BASIC RI TERMS
Angry Temper –– negative judgments (resentment, impatience, indignation, disgust,
hatred) directed against another person or situation.

Fearful Temper –– negative judgments (discouragement, preoccupation,

embarrassment, worry, hopelessness, despair, sense of shame, feelings of inadequacy)
directed against oneself.

Averageness — most of the things we experience, including nervous symptoms are

average — most people have experienced them. Only our tendency to work
them up makes them seem exceptional to us.

Self-endorsement — self-praise for any effort to practice the RI Method. We

recognize the value of every effort we make regardless of the result.

Sabotage — when we ignore or choose not to practice what we have learned in RI.
When we do not do what is best for our mental health.

Trivialities — the everyday events and irritations of daily life. Compared to our mental
health, most events are trivial

Inner Environment — everything inside your self: feelings, sensations, thoughts,

impulses and muscles.

Outer Environment — everything outside your self: places, people, events, and the
past.

Spotting — identifying a disturbing feeling, sensation, thought or impulse, previously

unseen then applying the right Recovery tools.

THE BIG FIVE

1. Angry Temper
2. Fearful Temper
3. Muscle Control
4. Muscle Movement
5. Sabotage
Constructing an RI Example: A Worksheet
1. Report a single situation or event that occurred — an everyday event when you began to
work yourself up. Focus on a brief description of what happened: specifically, what triggered
temper andsymptoms?
2. Report the symptoms you experienced — both physical and mental.
(For instance, angry and fearful thoughts, confusion, palpitations, disturbing impulses,
tightness in your chest, lowered feelings, sweaty palms, and so on.)
3. Report your spotting of fearful and/or angry temper, the RI tools you used to help yourself,
and your self-endorsement for your effort.
4. Begin with “Before I had my Recovery training” and describe the temperamental reaction
and symptoms you would have experienced before you began practicing the RI Method. What
would have happened then versus what happened now? (This will help you to note the progress
you have made.)
 HOW A RECOVERY INTERNATIONAL EXAMPLE SHOULD BE
CONSTRUCTED OUTLINE
Step 1. Report a single situation or event that occurred-an everyday event when you
began to work yourself up. Focus on a brief description of what happened: specifically,
what triggered temper and symptoms?

Step 2. Report the symptoms you experienced-both physical and mental. (For instance,
angry and fearful thoughts, confusion, palpitations, disturbing impulses, tightness in
your chest, lowered feelings, sweaty palms, and so on.)

Step 3. Report your spotting of fearful and angry temper, the Recovery International
tools you used to help yourself, and your self-endorsement for your effort.

Step 4. Begin with “Before I had my Recovery training,” and describe the
temperamental reaction and symptoms you would have experienced in former days.
What would have happened then versus what happened now? (This will help you to
note the progress you have made.)
Learning to give an example simply and clearly in the four-step sequence is an
important part of the Recovery International (RI) Method. The best way to learn is to
practice constructing and giving a “good average” example. Here are a few basics to
work on as you go through each step in turn.

Step 1: When describing the situation or event, be clear but brief. It’s tempting to go into
a lot of “background” and detail, but this is usually unnecessary and even distracting.
Practice focusing on just a few sentences of basic information that will clarify the
situation or event that generated your symptoms or discomfort. Notice in the sample
examples how the descriptions in Step 1 are both brief and precise.
Step 2: People often skip this step to get to Step 3, “spotting.” However, while this step,
like the others, should be kept brief, an important part of the RI Method is learning to be
objective in recognizing and describing physical and mental responses. This objectivity
makes those responses seem less threatening and overwhelming. Avoid diagnosing (“I
became paranoid”) and spotting (that comes in the next step). Just describe your
physical and mental sensations (“I felt flushed and angry, my head hurt,” etc.).
Step 3: Here you identify the Recovery tools – the “spots” – that helped you deal with
your symptoms. Stay focused on RI language and concepts; avoid mixing in material
from other methods. Be clear about how the spots apply to the symptoms and event,
but don’t worry about using every possible tool. Often just one or a few spots are all that
you need for the example.
Step 4: A crucial part of getting well through will training comes when we see how
we’ve improved through our use of the RI Method. This step is important in helping us to
see that improvement.
EXAMPLES OF RECOVERY PRACTICE
I had an errand to do downtown today. It was something that could not be put off. I thought
that I did not want to go and began to work myself up.
I had fearful thoughts about being out in public and not being able to control my outer
environment. I wanted to withdraw, had lowered feelings, felt tense and thought of how I could
avoid going out today.
I spotted my fearful temper and made a decision to go out and run the errand. I felt steadier
having made the decision. I planned and acted in getting ready to go out and went downtown on
the bus. As I traveled and took care of my business downtown, I saw that anticipation is often
worse than realization because things were going fine. I enjoyed being out on a nice day and
people were friendly. Although I could not control my outer environment, I could control my inner
environment. Each time I endorsed my efforts, the next step seemed easier.
Before my Recovery training, I might have stayed home, remained fearful and worked myself
up into a vicious cycle of lowered feelings and inadequacy. If I had not decided, planned and
acted, I would not have had this opportunity to see that anticipation is often worse than
realization and that one self-endorsement can lead to further encouragement and confidence.

Coming through customs at the airport at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, I was asked to go through a
different area to be searched. That’s when I began to work myself up.
My symptoms were head pressure, palpitations, and dizziness. My racing thoughts were, Why
me? There are thousands of people here and they pick me. I had the impulse to work myself up
more.
I spotted aggressive temper towards the customs officials. I had fearful temper that I would be
unable to cope with the situation and self-pity – Poor me! I used the Recovery spottings that
“helplessness is not hopelessness” and “to excuse rather than accuse” in the interest of my
mental health.
In former days, I would have reached for medication. I would have said rude things to the
man who searched my luggage. This time I endorsed myself for making the trip and coming to
Chicago.

Yesterday I bought a half dozen peaches that were beautiful on the outside but rotten on the
inside. My wife and I have different philosophies about buying produce. I buy it at a cheaper
store where the goods must be eaten in a few days or they will go bad. She buys at a more
expensive store which sells produce with a longer shelf life. We have been engaged in a good-
natured debate all summer about which philosophy helped us save more money. Several
months ago, we had had the same experience with fruit purchased at my store. My wife
returned the items and got our money back. Now it was happening again. I began to work
myself up.
I had lowered feelings and some stomach distress. I had the fearful thought that I might have
failed in the standard of average efficiency. I had the angry thought that my wife was rubbing in
my failure.
I spotted to have the courage to make mistakes and that there is no right or wrong in the
trivialities of everyday life. I excused and did not accuse my wife. I spotted that people say
things that irritate us but not necessarily to irritate us. I resisted the impulse to start keeping
records about how much things cost my way as opposed to her way—thus controlling my
muscles to keep from going for a symbolic victory. I endorsed myself for my practice.
Before Recovery I would have felt that I must find out who was right. I would not have
realized that I had choices about changing my thoughts and controlling my impulses. Before
Recovery I was hospitalized with delusions and clinical depression.
Environment Has Two Faces
INNER (INTERNAL) ENVIRONMENT OUTER (EXTERNAL) ENVIRONMENT
 Sensations  Events
 Impulses  The Past
 Muscles  People
 Feelings  Places
 Thoughts

The Parts of a Recovery International Meeting

• Welcome and Introductions
• Reading
• Examples
• Voluntary Contributions
• Further Spotting and Questions
• Mutual Aid

Life Consists of Trivialities and very little else. If you think of what you worry
about, it’s trivialities. Whether you should buy a certain item or not. Whether you should
buy it now or wait until the price goes down. Should you spend money on unnecessary
things, or should you save the money? These are trivialities, average happenings. The
average person deals constantly with average happenings, with trivialities. You eat, you
sleep, you walk, you go to school, you see friends, you talk on the phone. That takes up
90 percent of your day, if not 98 percent. Life consists of trivialities mainly. How often
does a father die? Once in a lifetime. That’s not a common, average, trivial event. How
often does somebody in the family get married or somebody get born? How often does
your house burn down? What you call a big item happens rarely. These trivialities of
everyday life create responses in you. You either don’t notice them because they don’t
interest you, or they cheer you because they please you, or they anger you, or scare
you. Even the simplest triviality can scare or anger you. In the life of a parent, the fact
that a baby cries is a triviality. A thousand things that the baby does are trivialities, but a
mother may work herself up over each of these trivialities. The closer a relation is to
you, the more the trivialities can irritate, frustrate, anger and scare you. Trivialities
crowd your life, but any one of them may arouse your anger, your fear, your disgust, or
your terror. I want you to learn how to deal with trivialities, not to get upset by trivialities.
You must learn to handle the trivialities of daily life without temper. If you wish to be
trained in this system, be prepared to listen to nothing but trivialities. That’s life. Life is to
get angry at a person who doesn’t look at you, or a person who stares at you, a person
who talks too much, or a person who doesn’t talk at all. That’s life. It is also to eat a bad
meal or a good meal. If you eat a bad meal, you feel anger. If you eat a good meal, then
you feel enjoyment. That’s life. Utterly trivial. If you want stirring excitement, you will not
get it in this program. We are average people, and we talk about average trivialities –
that means everyday life.
Note: This is an excerpt from Chapter 23 in Manage Your Fears, Manage Your Anger by Abraham A.
Low, M.D.
 MEETING MATERIALS
If you plan on participating in ANY Recovery International self-help group (Community,
Telephone or Online), you will need the following materials during your meetings. Click on each
link to download or print (Headquarters does not mail these items):

http://www.recoveryinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/BASIC-CONCEPTS-12.2.pdf

http://www.recoveryinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/A-Sampling-of-Tools-and-Terms-
2014.pdf

http://www.recoveryinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/How-to-Construct-An-Example.pdf

http://www.recoveryinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/RI-Example-Worksheet-
12.2.14.pdf

http://www.recoveryinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/What-You-Can-Expect-at-a-
Recovery-Inc.pdf

If you have not done so, you should also consider reading the Recovery International self-help books.

They are available at the RI store: http://www.recoveryinternational.org/store/

Some are also available on: Amazon.com

ABOUT RI MEETINGS
All Recovery International self-help group meetings consist of five parts:

 Reading – The group reads from one of Abraham Low’s books or listens to one of the recorded lectures.
At some meetings participants highlight parts of the reading that were especially meaningful to them.
 Examples – Meeting participants take turns describing an event from everyday life that caused distress.
They explain how they used Recovery International tools to address their discomfort and control their
responses. After each example, other members offer comments (referred to as “spotting”) that highlight
the example-giver’s successful use of Recovery International tools and suggest other “spottings” that also
could have been used.
 Spotting and Questions – Members offer additional comments on and ask questions about the examples
previously given.
 Mutual Aid – This is a time for informal discussion about how participants are using the Recovery
International tools. It is a good time to ask the group leader or a veteran member to help develop an
example to share at a later meeting, or to ask questions about specific Recovery International “spottings”
that were discussed. Some groups have refreshments at this point and meeting attendees enjoy socializing.
 Voluntary Contributions – Participants are asked at each meeting to help support the organization via
voluntary contributions, with the suggested donation being $4 per meeting. If an attendee isn’t able to
contribute, that should not deter him or her from attending Recovery International meetings.