Anonymous groups...

[TheDamnedTruth]

There is alcoholic & drug addict anon groups everywhere.

I can not find any shopper / debtor addict groups anywhere in the north of england!

Aibu to think there should be some!

And if you know of any then please share!

Anyone?

Any of the 12 step anon groups take the original AA philosophy and adapt it to that particular issue.

So step 1 - we admitted we were powerless over xxx, that our lives had become unmanageable.

Not sure on other groups - I’m a not very anonymous alcoholic.

What Help are you trying to find? With compulsive over spending?

Well I know I have depression which is currently being treated and ocd which is where the compulsive spending comes from.

I think a group meeting would help, I'm shocked that even though it's a genuine condition but the support around it is so lacking!

I found overspenders anonymous online, but because it’s more niche it’s a lot smaller.

You could google the full 12 steps and adapt them - or Russell Brand has just written an interesting book about applying the principles to most things.

The basic tenets of 12 step are accepting here’s a problem, realising you can’t solve it alone, a step 4 where you analyse previous behaviour and realise the underlying behaviours.

Aren't the 12 steps a lot of religious stuff about asking god to change you?

(Sorry if that's ignorantly wrong!)

To be honest I used to think the same.

No - but wording hadn’t changed. It’s more along the lines of accepting that you can’t do it alone and that there is a power greater than you. Basically that your thinking got yourself into that mess.

If you google agnostic step programmes you will see where people have adapted it.

A lot is recognition that you’re not alone and that many people have the same problem. It’s just not talked about.