Site materials are based on the research, theories and clinical treatment and organizational development strategies of Martin G. Groder, M.D. and Anastasia Rosen-Jones (formerly Marcia E. Rosen). The Groder-Rosen formal name for the "Dark Side" is the "Survivor Addict".

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Allies And Adversaries

As I reminded folks on a recent New Horizons’ Small “Zones Of Peace” blog, “A House Divided Cannot Stand.”  

How do we so often manage to forget this? And, still call ourselves people of G-d? 

I am not a Christian. My Bible does not lay out this principle in quite the clear words of the New Testament. Yet I know this code required of a dignified human life as well as I know my name.

Ben Franklin referred to this belief in his famous words "we must all hang together or most assuredly we will all hang separately."

What do you think he meant by this?

As quoted on the internet –
Benjamin Franklin said this famous line at the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in July 1776.  The meaning of the quote was that the signers of the Declaration, as well as colonists in general, had to help each other and support each other or they were doomed.
The line is, of course, a pun.  Franklin is using the figure of speech "hang together" to mean "stick together" or "support one another."  He puns that with the phrase "hang separately." 
By this, he means being executed by hanging. 
So he is saying that if they do not support each other, they will be executed.  By extension, he is saying that if they colonies as a whole do not support one another they will all be defeated by England.
We have both the Bible and Ben Franklin to remind us that we all need one another; so very much “hangs” on this one principle. 

What else do we need?  How about just good common sense>

Why are we minimizing the importance of this principle now?

If you haven’t already taken my “Where Is Your Dark Side Hiding/Survivor-Addict Inventory,” check it out now to find out what’s in your way of “hanging together.”

Why wait for another “9/11” or Manchester, England to bring yourself to unite with your fellow citizens?

We’ve got to get over this “enemies” thing! It is not helping! 

Polarization is only valuable for a time as we define ourselves and that for which we stand. Its usefulness is soon outweighed by its potential to tear us apart.

The Democrats are ranting today about their lost Georgia election. Tomorrow the Republicans will be at it again. 

I’m so glad I am neither. A mini-taste of heaven for me is now being a registered Independent!

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

The GAME Is On! A Modified New Horizons’ Truth Or Dare Game Seems To Be Coming To Capital Hill



New Horizons “Truth Or Dare GAME” was known formerly as New Horizons “Discount Derby.”

(Update: As of May 1, 2019, New Horizons is still heading toward Capital Hill. However, if "truth" is the goal there, of course, it takes a whole lot of planning and preparation. 

Stay tuned in for this "adventure of a lifetime.")

Background of Martin G. Groder, M.D.’s GAME at Marion Federal Penitentiary, as per wikipedia that became New Horizons Truth Or Dare Game. 

(Scroll down to the wikipedia section in this post on therapeutic communities in the U.S. 

This will provide some historical background on the foundations of New Horizons GAME that grew out of Groder's Asklepeion GAME and was modified, under Marty's supervision to grow into the profound life transforming process it is today.

A survey of this wiki post will also shed light on the how and why of New Horizons' "exceptional community" approach to building small "zones of peace.")

According to Wikipedia, the Asklepion Therapeutic Community, created by Martin G. Groder, M.D. was established in the late 1960s within the US correctional system. The Asklepion Foundation, the supporting organizational structure for the program, initiated therapeutic communities in the Marion Federal Penitentiary and other institutions that included clinical intervention, based upon Transactional Analysis, the Synanon Game, modified internal twelve-step programs and other therapeutic modalities. 

Some of these programs lasted into the mid 1980s, such as the House of Thought in the Virginia Correctional system. These were able to demonstrate a reduction of 17% in recidivism in a matched-pair study of drug-abusing felons and sex offenders who participated in the program for one year or more.

From these early beginnings, I, as Executive Director of the New Horizons Support Network, Inc., advanced Groder’s approach, also referred to as the Total Learning Environment model. New Horizons Truth or Dare GAME, which was originally called the Discount Derby grew out of this background.

This information is going to become more and more essential as I, through the three sites for which I write, take up the task, with my team of volunteers, of contributing perspectives – and – sometimes applications to help move our society forward and out of the swamp within which it has seemed to be sinking.  Destination: Capital Hill.
If what I am SEEING bears out, we may be on the verge of important changes, depending on whether or not our national government can get all the way behind finding out the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Or as Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein like to say, "The best obtainable version of the truth."

(Update: May 1, 2019 -- Looks like Mueller's report has elegantly poised our nation to move thoroughly into the GAME in the nation's Capital. He has certainly provided us with the "facts" we, as Americans, need to drain that swamp, if we be dedicated enough to stick with it which I feel certain many of us will do.)

I am feeling very hopeful. I certainly hope I am SEEING right. Let’s find out together. 

Just keep reading.

Saturday, June 10, 2017

Beyond Political Craziness

I have long admired the organizational underpinnings of Alcoholic Anonymous. This is so as my twenty-five years of doing private practice psychotherapy centered on treating relationship and personality addictions. While these are addictions of the non-ingested variety, as opposed to the ingested  (i.e. drugs and alcohol), full recovery from these addictions follows along most of the same lines.  A particular focus in treating both is on the individual giving up ego-driven control.

The workings of the alternatives are complex to understand. In my three books, collected under the title "Anastasia’s Random House Trilogy," I have done a fairly decent job, especially in the first of the three, Surviving Addictions, to explicate the dynamics of the non-ingested chemical addictions in the relatively easy to understand language of Transactional Analysis, my home base theory for my professional psychological work.

One of the areas lacking somewhat in that book, or at least insofar as I have been able to present it, as a result of my losing eyesight, is the topic of the collusion between the aggressive addict and the passive addict.

Herein lies the essence of codependency.  And herein lies a major piece of the phenomenon that is Donald Trump in office; the collusion of the aggressive (power addicted) addict (i.e. Trump) and his adoring public (i.e. the passive addict) or those who are highly reactive to Trump’s brand of chaos (i.e. also, believe it, or not -- sometimes the media, depending on attitude, certainly often those addicted to the media/internet). Ask any long-term Al Anon member and they will, likely, understand the notion of collusion with the addict in a heartbeat. It is the center of personal derangement.

Now we are in a major crisis these days with Donald Trump in office as head of state. Noting the words of Charles Krauthammer, referencing “Trump Derangement Syndrome” in his article, “The President Can’t Govern By Id,”Krauthammer comes right up on the dilemma running rampant throughout our country. He offers --
“What distinguishes Trump Derangement Syndrome is not just general hysteria about the subject, but additionally the inability to distinguish between legitimate policy differences on the one hand and signs of psychic pathology on the other.”
Ask yourself, can you distinguish between these two that Krauthammer points out? If not, you may not be allowing yourself to support Trump where he most needs you. This can be as destructive as pushing back against him, aggressively or passively.

To understand what may, at times appear to the untrained eye, one simple trouble going on with Trump; his inability to get his policies operative, needs to be viewed, I strongly hold, by paying heed to a philosophy that has built the, almost incomprehensible success of Alcoholics Anonymous, A success founded on “principles before personalities. Trump supporters see this strength in him. Don't push them away, if you are on the opposing side with anger and reactivity. Rather lean in and be part of the team where warranted.

The American public, to weather the storm, we are now living in needs, needs more than any one thing I can see, to adopt this AA tenet. The goal, as in the Twelve Steps, is “recovery” of the United States of America, at its best, demanding that “we the people” stop colluding with Trump.  But also stop fighting him, just because you may not like him or his acting out ways.

It is important to note here that passivity, reactivity and anger are all corresponding roles responding to the aggressive/power addicted addict. Each is based on some form of “discounting.”

So be sure, whatever you choose to do minimizes passivity, anger and reactivity as much practicality as possible. In other words, do your best to stay calm, under the stress. Of course easier said than done in these times!

The three blog sites for which I write are designed to be linked with one another. Here is how to use them in this way.
All three of these sites have the principles of non-ingested chemical addiction recovery at their base, as developed originally by Martin G. Groder, M.D. and expanded by Marty and myself, as well as others that Marty mentored.
  • Please read carefully what is posted here and on my other blog sites from here forth, if moving beyond the craziness of our current political crisis is your intent. 
  • Remember, pointing your finger at Donald Trump will only get you so far in handling these crazy times. 
  • You need, also, to get yourself out of the chaos, out of the reactivity and find ways in which to hold to your own center of values and ethics and think practically. From a New Horizons perspective, we hold that “life is with people.”
  • That means "lean in" to others who are different, ethnically, from yourself or merely think differently than you.
  • This means active grassroots involvement as much as you can manage, not just talk. And, also not fighting just to fight.
  • All paths lead to one place, at their highest point; personal and collective transformation. 
This is what we are offering here to help us all move “Beyond Political Craziness” and be able to survive – as well as we possibly can --- this challenging time.