By ASHLEE AINGE
Ashlee@newsroom.byu.edu
John is a workaholic.
He used to work all day and think about it all night. He hurt his family and constantly broke the goals he made to improve his life. He lost hope and could find no way to regain control of his life.
Heart t' Heart, a national 12-step program that actively incorporates doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, helped him regain control.
'The program helped me find Christ. Once he was the first priority in my life, everything else fell into its proper place,' John said.
While Heart t' Heart will support those struggling with any addictive behavior, the ones most often dealt with are overeating, drug addiction, alcohol abuse, sexual addiction, gambling, work addiction and codependency.
Heart t' Heart incorporates the same 12 steps used by Alcoholics Anonymous, but has collected scriptural references and quotes from prophets to supplement each step.
'We focus more on the solution than on the problem,' said Joy, who requested that her last name not be used. 'The solution is through Jesus Christ, no matter what the challenge is.'
Joy, who initially came to Heart t' Heart seeking help ten years ago, now serves on the board of directors and runs the meetings in Orem.
Joy reported that Orem gets about 10 to 15 people attending each meeting, held Tuesday and Friday nights at Timpanogos Regional Medical Center.
The Heart t' Heart workbook, called 'He Did Deliver Me From Bondage', is also used within LDS Family Services support groups.
Colleen Harrison, who founded Heart t' Heart in 1991, wrote the workbook and continues to cultivate ideas that will improve the support that her group provides.
'I've learned from my personal experience of overcoming an overeating addiction, we learn through each group member that is released from their addiction and we learn through inspiration,' Harrison said.
Any behavior taken to an extreme can become an addiction. People often define their problems as moral faults, not recognizing the addiction. Instead of seeking help, they tear themselves down and as self-esteem plummets, the addiction grows stronger, Harrison explained.
A recovering workaholic agreed with Harrison's remarks.
'I kept making goals to change, but could never do it. Every time I failed, I hated myself more. Heart t' Heart has helped me find hope again,' the anonymous Heart t' Heart member said.
Fighting her own addiction, Harrison began to see the need for better support within the LDS community.
'We are all in the impossible pursuit of perfection; it can not be accomplished alone. Christ is perfect enough for all of us. The sooner that it understood, the better prepared we are to conquer our addictions and progress,' Harrison said.
Because all 12-steps programs include spirituality in the healing process, many members of the LDS Church are afraid to participate, fearing that doctrines contrary to their own will be preached, Harrison explained. She said she struggled with the same ideas.
A quote from Joseph Smith which encourages leaders to 'teach correct principles and let them govern themselves' inspired Harrison to search the scriptures. She knew that if the steps were indeed correct principles, then she would find them within the Book of Mormon.
And she said she did. She said she found 35 references for the first step alone and got more and more excited as she continued through all the steps and received a personal conviction that they completely support and promote the teachings of ancient and modern prophets.
'The gospel helped me internalize the steps and the steps helped me internalize the gospel. I learned to understand Christ's atoning power in my life. The 12 steps can help people do that,' Harrison said.
According to the American Medical Association, the top three causes of preventable death in the United States are due to extreme behaviors: poor diet, tobacco and alcohol.
'I don't think any of us can get through these last days without an addictive tendency, the only dependence that is beneficial is on the Lord Jesus Christ,' Harrison said.
Mike Buxton, a counselor at BYU, said that although addictive behaviors are not as evident at BYU as on other campuses, he still deals with them often.
'Addictive behaviors within LDS culture are more often seen as private behaviors that people do in secrecy,' Buxton said.
Buxton said he believes that 12-step programs are beneficial depending on the level of addiction and their need for group support. If the person has a need for that kind of support than he thinks it is very helpful.
While BYU does not run any 12-step programs on campus, they do hold groups for sexually addictive behaviors, eating disorders and open groups, which include any person who desires extra support.