AWG Secular 12 Step Self-Esteem Group π
Code: 781927
Meeting description
- Find our own concept of self-esteem and grow toward it
- Come to discover a more realistic sense of our place in the world
- Reassess our relationships, especially in terms of our responsibilities towards ourselves and others
- Come to understand personal boundaries, their roles in our lives, and how to develop and maintain healthy boundaries
- Understand the concept of nonviolent detachment and how and when to enact it
- Develop more manageable lifestyles
- Develop a sense of self that leads to more health, well being, and manageability in our lives
- Release others from the responsibility of defining or reinforcing our sense of self-esteem
- Form personal goals about self-esteem and self-concept based on our own understanding of our own needs, as they exist today
AWG 12 Step Self-Esteem Readings
Self-esteem and current events: Part 1
It can feel unmanageable to look at my sense of self and self-esteem during difficult current events
A part of my self-esteem is connected to what's happening in the world around me. Some of my autistic traits seem to increase that connection: justice sensitivity, holotropism, black and white thinking, perfectionism, aversion to change, hyper-empathy, and more. When current events are positive, that can be pleasurable. But when current events are difficult, it can feel more unmanageable than normal to think about my sense of self and self-esteem.
I wonder why that is. Do I feel guilt because my self-esteem "shouldn't matter" in light of what's going on? Do I not want to look because I don't like changes, inside or outside? Do I worry that if I look at my self-esteem right now, I'll be motivated to take actions that could end up being unmanageable? Do I fear that looking at the part of me that is connected with current events might let those events start to sweep me away? Do I feel responsible in some way for the current events that are happening? Or do I simply lack the spoons?
It's a tough topic. I think I would be helped by hearing about members' experiences with sense of self and self-esteem during difficult local, regional, national, or global events.
Share questions:
- How do current events impact your sense of self? Self-esteem? It's okay to answer this question generally or with reference to specific recent events.
- Do you feel any inner resistance in looking at the part of your self-esteem or sense of self connected to current events? Guilt because personal self-esteem "shouldn't matter" in light of what's going on in the world? Not liking changes, inside or outside? Fear of being motivated to take actions that could end up being unmanageable? Worry that investigation of sense of self might let current events sweep you away? Feeling responsible in some way for the current events that are happening? Blaming yourself for being part of the system in which the events in question happened, or are happening? Other? Please describe.
- Where might those feelings be coming from?
- If you don't have inner resistance to looking at the part of your sense of self connected to current events, what is it like? How are you able to do it?
- Any tools, resources, or strategies that helped you?
- Anything else to add?


