While going to college I have seen first hand how a 12 step campus can benefit an individual. I myself am not an addict to food, booze or drugs but I do have family and friends who fall into those groups. One very close friend of mine decided to try a twelve step programon campus 90 days ago and the results have been incredible. She has taken that brave first step of admission, and surrendered her decisions to a higher power and a group of supporters. By doing so, she is able to curb her addiction one day at a time. The 12 step campus she is a member of allows her to stand tall in tough situations where her addiction could normally get the better of her. Within three months she has rebuilt her positive energy, her healthy habits and most of all, her enjoyment of life. She writes in her journal every night after doing her homework and before going to sleep, about the journey she accomplished that day. Every morning before class she calls her sponsor to commit her plan for the day. The amount of commitment she has to this twelve step program is admirable and makes me wonder what I’m missing out on. I claim no addiction of my own, but is that the truth?
Her newfound way of life brings me to question my own choices while living on campus. I wonder if I could be happier, healthier, more mentally and physically fit if I figured out what my vices were and found a 12 step program of my own. I decided to do some research. What I found quite shocked me. There is literally a twelve step program on my campus for just about everything! From online gaming to workaholics! And if there isn’t one, then surely it could be brought up with the student counsel and arranged. I still don’t know which of my undesirable qualities of myself I’d like to attend to the most I think sometimes it may be an anger management program, or procrastinators anonymous. If there is a program on campus for manic depressiveness, that would certainly be my group. But I’m curious to know if a bunch of us manic depressives gather every week in the same place, would their cycles align? I can see it now. One month everyone in the room is ready to lay down and die, and then next week we decide to throw a party with a banner that says, “WooHoo!!!” I don’t know. There are certainly things that I can change, and maybe I need some sort of intervention to find out what they are. I suppose that if the problem is big enough, it will find me. But until then I continue to be inspired from watching my best friend better her life one day at a time.
But as well as making me question my own habits, her new ways have been rubbing off on me Because she is not only my friend, but my soon to be fiancé, and we happen to live together, her lifestyle has a profound effect on my own and we tend to mirror each other’s habits. In this case, because her lifestyle has changed for the positive and I am entirely supportive, I no longer do anything that contradicts her program’s creed. All said and done, I have an enormous respect for my campus for providing anonymous groups for students to help people gain control over the things they do not have the strength to overcome alone. I have seen first hand the light that can shine as a result.
