In a recent email I received from Phil Harrison, author of Clean Hands, Pure Heart, he gave numerous suggestions for the site. As you might be aware, Clean Hands, Pure Heart is able to be used for a 12-step program. There is a main principle involved in the programs and book that is required in order for the program to be effective, that is the need to recognize one's own ineffectiveness in attempts to overcome addiction and surrender yourself and your will to the Lord. Bro. Harrison agrees with me that our site focuses a lot on the success of our own efforts and not on the reliance upon the Lord that is really necessary for recovery to occur. The reasoning is that "Addiction is a condition where we have lost that power--we have surrendered it to the adversary." I have recently purchased this book and plan to make a study of it that will affect the Goal Setting Program. The Goal Setting Program was never meant to be the end solution to addiction recovery, but rather a first step. I also received an email this week from a young man using the Goal Setting Program. After discussing the success he had had in identifying his moments of weakness that he would have to watch out for and what he believes would be an effective plan for escaping these temptations, he said, "What do I do next?...I just dont know what the next step is." This is a question that I hope everyone using the goal program asks because that is definitely not the end of the road. The Goal Progam is simply designed to help individuals identify the dangerous situations around them and provide a temporary plan of escape, long enough hopefully that they can begin to work with the Lord and seek a change of heart. The only permanent solution to a problem such as this would be turning to the Lord and receiving a new heart with new desires. In the past, we saw that so many individuals wanted this change of heart, but couldn't separate themselves from their sin or addiction long enough to even shift their focus. Changing behavior is temporary relief and is not the end. The quote found on header of each page from Elder Packer is found in the preface to Clean Hands, Pure Heart and is a standard that I hope to develop at this site. In answer to the Young Man's question, what he should do next, the only permanent solution is one of progression, leaving behind the sins and turning to the Lord, seeking a new heart with new desires. How does one do that? Well, if there is a way to do it on-line, I've never discovered it. That's something that takes place everyday with thousands kneeling at their beds, rising early to study the scriptures, walking the temple grounds, speaking with their Bishops. I hope that we can make the appropriate changes to the site to restore focus to the Savior in our pursuit of change. Much like the Center for Change, (Eating Disorders) we also hope to provide a nurturing environment while individuals go through the recovery process.

It was brought to my attention by by a statement made at Heart to Heart that our programs may not focus quite enough on the dependency we have on the Lord to overcome any trial in life. It's not that I don't believe people have the ability to change their behavior, but we're looking for something different. I believe that most of the hundreds that have used this site are seeking a change of heart as well. So, how can alterations can we make to the current programs that would emphasize more our dependence on Christ? As of now, the goal program primarily focuses on changing behavior. While we talk about reading the scriptures and praying everyday, the focus is still a behavioral one. This isn't complete unless we're also doing something to help those using the program focus on the Atonement as well. Refer to a previous post on the Goal Setting Program if you want to know how it works. In summary, the user chooses new steps each week that lead to a higher, more long-term goal. The user also explains the scenarios surrounding the keeping or not keeping of these steps. How do we alter this format to focus more on the Savior? And as long as we're at it, we are currently developing Version Two of the Recovery Programs. Now is a primetime to reevaluate the emphasis we're placing on the Savior and to think about how to refocus on Him in the healing and recovery process. I'm going to be thinking about this the next few days and any input would be appreciated.

There are numerous sites out there dedicated to the LDS on-line community. I think it would be helpful for those running these sites to be able to stay in touch with eachother and just be kept up to date on what is happening on the other sites. For example, when LDS Living launched their affiliate program, that's something that only other website operators would want to know. Or when LDS Linkup finally allows advertising or when YoungLDS launched their new site, those are things that I want to know about, just so I'm up to date with what's happening. So, if anyone knows about one that's already in existence, I'd like to hear about it. If not, I think we should start one. It wouldn't be used for anyone to advertise, but just give a line or two of any new changes or things they're planning on implementing. That would be some good information if you ask me.

Well, if you've been to the site recently you may have noticed a change. If you don't frequent our site, then there might still be some helpful information in this. We've disabled the Recovery Groups. Our on-line support groups for addiction recovery didn't elicite as much continued activity as we had hoped for. They were created nicely with complete anonymity and what I thought was a nice format to read through everyone's postings. We kept it limited to four people in each group and they were divided up according to their addiction/struggle. Well, after a good first time posting and a not so good response rate, most people didn't come back. So, we're not scrapping the project, because I believe that it still has merit. We'll roll out Version 2 as soon as it's finished. Here are some changes we're considering: a mentor/moderator in each group will facilitate discussion each week on a reading from the Resources section that deals with that addiction, groups will hold up to eight people instead of four, and we'll have the ability to remove an individual if they choose to no longer participate. This is still in the workings, but any comments you have on these ideas would be appreciated. You can view the old recovery group format by following links from "What is this?" under "Addiction Recovery." If anyone has experienced success in on-line recovery groups, we'd like to hear about it.

Well, I've been in discussion with the operators of some other discussion boards, or threaded discussions as we're calling them. The reason for this is that I don't anticipate our discussion board to really become something where thousands of youth and young adults go to talk. There are already plenty of places like that for the LDS community and there are also a few that even specialize in addiction recovery. I thought that this would mainly be for the posting and reviewing of past problems and general advice. However, after listening to a lecture today by Phil Windley, a leading blogger, I've been thinking about using a wiki instead. The purpose of the discussion board would be for someone who has a problem to find out what others have said about that issue. That would take a long time and the advice is limited to what people said a long time ago. A wiki can be constantly updated and updated by anyone. We can create a page for each issue and people can constantly be updating the advice given. Right now, you might be questioning this logic. But consider this, in the book The Wisdom of Crowds, James Surowiecki gives numerous examples of how the best solutions are almost always made by the masses of average people rather than expert opinions. By hosting a page of advice on how to best overcome any certain addiction or how to handle any given situation, through constant revision, we will slowly weed out the bad ideas and eventually end up with the best possible solution. In theory at least, that's how it will work. As Phil Windley said, it's actually better than a peer review journal. Your comments on this would be appreciated it.

Sometimes individuals using the goal program become disheartened when they realize that after setting their goals, the temptations to recommitt the act they are avoiding will still arise. While any goal program hopes to minimize the chances for failure, and ours in particular tries to keep us from tempting situations, inevitably, temptation will occur. Even if it were possible to completely avoid the situations where we normally mess up, the fact is that when working with addictions part of you is going to crave what you're trying leave behind. Even if you have completely changed your ways, thoughts will come, desires will come. An important part of the goal program is defining what you're going to do in such a situation. What will you do when despite your best efforts, you still find yourself face to face with everything you've wanted to get away from, but for someone reason seem drawn to. You know as well as I that if you entertain the thought, a brief second is all that you need before certain emotions are swelling within you and you can't think straight or even remember what it is you were working so hard against. Before those emotions swell up, or as soon as you recognize them, you need to do everything you can to focus on your alternate activity or the back up plan that you have prepared in case of a surprise attach such as that. With something definite to focus on, and a goal that you will be reporting later that day or week, you can hopefully focus just long enough to get yourself out of the situation and thinking straight again. If it turns out that your back up plan didn't hold your attention like you'd hoped it would, then don't worry. You've been through this before and it's a learning experience. Choose a new plan. Don't be afraid to try something that you think might work but you've never actually tried. Just don't go back to setting the same goals you've always set and just thinking that things will be different this time, because this time you're really committed and you obviously weren't this last time. You know you were committed when you made the goals and it's not your committment that's going to get you through it. It is in part, keeping yourself separated from the addiction long enough that you can begin to work on the mighty change you've been seeking for. If you want to achieve things that you have never achieved, then you have to be willing to do things that you've never done before. (I'll try and look up that quote to give credit where it's deserved.) Well, I hope that you're doing well and that the goal program can be more of a help for you with that tidbit of information. Good luck.
Dan

One thing unique about this site is the electronic Goal Setting Program. So many of the people using the website did not want to write down their goals for fear of someone finding them, that we had to develop a way for them to keep track of their goals and progress in a confidential setting. The goal program not only allows for the individual to keep track of their goals, but also to identify why theymight be failing to meet them. There are 5 common reasons that sway people from their goal keeping. By identifying those reasons each week, they are able to learn how to see the technique coming before it hits them. They also learn where they are stronger and where they are more vulnerable. A goal calendar is provided which allows them a physical daily check-off without saying what the goal is. The goal program is set up so that the individual is forced to identify how they are going to react in the different situations that will bring about temptation rather than simply saying they are never going to commit the act again. The settings they are to plan for include the situation where they know beforehand the temptation is likely to occur and the situation where a surprise temptation comes that they could not have planned for. They are also asked to identify a positive activity that they can become involved in that will keep them pointed in the right direction and in which they can become completely engrossed. The purpose is for the individual to be able to set those three goals and then completely forget about the addiction. Without the addiction on their mind, and knowing that they only have to follow three guidelines, much more time and energy is freed. The unnecessary and uncconstructive guilt should dissolve while rather than focusing on what the individual will not do, they are constantly focusing on what they will do. We have seen great success in individuals using this program when they use it consistently. The largest proglem we face is the tendency to want to separate oneself from the program as soon as the slightest success is seen. We need to find a way to allow more of those in the Goal Setting Program to be mentored in their goals. Hopefully, until then, the examples provided will help people see how to effectively establish goals.

After that last post, I thought it might be helpful for you to know what Peer Help Groups is and what these websites are supposed to do. You see, http://www.ldsteenhelp.com started in about '98 and has changed a lot since the beginning. It used to be a website for LDS teens to write in and a group of other LDS teens would email them back and encourage them to do what's right and talk to the people they should be speaking with, like an ecclesiastical leader, in order to work out any problems. Since then, the website expanded into other websites, including one for college age young adults and another one specifically for those preparing for LDS missions. While the three sites were different, they still served the same purpose. It came to our (I say our because I don't work on this alone) attention that the same issues kept coming up again and again. So we began to compile information and place under a section called Resources. Then we thought that if individuals had a place to keep track of the things they were working on, it might help them to progress. Well, eventually we came to what we have now. Four programs that, when used correctly, have helped a lot of people keep track of their progress and find support from others who are or have experienced the same kind of problems. The site is nowhere near complete. Some things that we are working on now are giving those in the goal program the ability to see their past progress rather than just current, a new group of mentors in order to meet the high demand of those requesting mentorship and providing those members with access to necessary information, having a mentor in every recovery group to help facilitate discussion and a few other things. We are also beginning to compile helpful strategies from everyone using the site and do some research of our own on what techniques work best. There is a lot that we would like to do and are working on being able to do that.

This weekend, serveral new changes were made to the site. First, thinking that it would be beneficial for individuals using the site to hear what has been successful for others, there is now a page established to collect that information anonymously. It will be compiled and put under the Resources section. I think that this will help a lot of people, especially those new to the site. The veterans that have been working with eachother for some time can share their wisdom. The side bar has also been slightly modified in hopes that will be easier to navigate through the site.