PART II: Recovery Must Be Demonstrated Through the Example
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PHIL: Well, Treasure, here we go again! As I recall, we ended our last "conversation" hoping to hear from other "old-timers." Have you heard from any of them?
TREASURE: I sure have! Shortly after the last Reporter was out, I received several letters and a number of phone calls. Joan Rice was one of the "old-timers" I heard from. You remember her; she was a patient of Dr. Low's?
PHIL: Of course, I do!
TREASURE: Joan's living in California, and leads a group in Sacramento. She also handles much of the public relations work for the northern California area. But, let me tell you what she had to say, I think you'll be interested in her comments:
"First of all, from the standpoint of Recovery history, it is wonderful to hear just how it all began. But, as important to me is the 'practice of the Method', as you and Phil describe how you apply it. For instance, the value of participating on panels; Phil's reference to 'trying to control the symptoms'; and the references to specific chapters in the book that are helpful. This takes experience and much reading of the book. It is so important to zero-in on the specific area where you need spotting and what really applies. I think it is so easy for us, 'out in the field', to get into the rut of using the terms but not really doing as Dr. Low used to tell us --'don't try to recite a whole chapter when you make a comment. Simply show how you would practice the Method in a given situation'."
PHIL: Joan brings out a very vital point, I think, and that's an example in itself. I recall, right from the beginning, Dr. Low would always ask what the specific situation was in which we were involved. He would remind us again and again, that the Recovery principles must always be illustrated with examples.
TREASURE: I'm afraid I learned that the hard way! We had been holding meetings in Michigan for quite some time, and we did give examples. But, what I felt was truly important was the discussion of the chapter after we had read it aloud. We would launch into a long intellectual discussion, trying to figure out just what Dr. Low meant by this or that principle. Then, Dr. Low sent you to Brighton. You had a list of matters that Dr. Low wanted you to tell me about. The first one was that he wanted us to stop discussing the literature! He said we were to start right in with the examples after the reading. I didn't like that at all, because we really enjoyed those discussions.
PHIL: Sure, I can see why, intellectual discussions can be very stimulating.
TREASURE: The only thing was, that although my mental health had improved somewhat, I was still too clumsy when I had to apply the technique. All that exercise in discussion was too complex for me to think of when I had a panic, or when I had a temperamental reaction. I still found that I was so alone in the middle of the night when my symptoms took over and so very alone when some friends dropped in for a visit. I really needed to develop some expertise in applying the Method in those specific situations.
PHIL: That's just it, the examples demonstrate HOW the techniques can be applied. I suppose you accepted the instructions that Dr. Low had sent me to give to you concerning the panels?
TREASURE: Well, to tell the truth, Phil, for the next few meetings, I continued the same as we had before. But, about the third meeting after you had returned to Chicago, it struck me all of a sudden that I was taking the easy way. There was much more discomfort involved in bringing out some of our own temper in a personal situation than there was in simply talking about Recovery principles.
PHIL: More than anything else, Dr Low emphasized that everything in Recovery can be brought back to temper--and self-diagnosing, which immediately leads to temper. I remember very clearly that when anyone was in Chicago for training to start a group, Dr. Low would ask me, "Phil, did you ask questions to bring out the subtle forms of fearful temper?" By this, he meant all forms of fearful temper--undesirable exceptionality, self-doubt, self-blame, self-importance, disappointment over the return of symptoms, etc. He repeatedly said that he did not want anyone to become a Recovery leader who did not understand temper and the control of temper, particularly the fearful variety, according to the Recovery concepts. He wanted this demonstrated at all meetings. Though the years, I have always endorsed myself for my consistent efforts to demonstrate what Dr. Low trained me to do. Especially on these two vital points: (1) Always using a specific example when discussing the application of Recovery techniques and (2) Always bringing that specific example back to the temper involved or, as we mentioned, the self-diagnosing that leads to temper.
TREASURE: You sure did a good job of getting those points across to us in Michigan. At the same time, you made it clear that you were only demonstrating the method as Dr. Low had trained you to do-- he was the authority for Recovery procedures.
PHIL: Perhaps in some future article, we can go into the four steps of the example in more detail, and also cover Dr. Low's development of the self-help panel in 1952.
TREASURE: Since starting this series, I've gone back through the correspondence you and I have had from way back in 1947. It has reminded me of so many things that we've discussed, and that I'd like to bring out in this series. For instance, I'd like to talk with you about STIGMA -- how it was in those early days, compared to today.
PHIL: Yes, we have corresponded a great deal through the years, and we've watched Recovery's development take place. There's a lot to talk about and I look forward to our next "conversation".
