AIT Talks to Emotions Anonymous!

Anxiety in Teens had the chance to learn more about Emotions Anonymous, an organization committed to providing a safe community for members to meet regularly to discuss and heal from emotional problems, including anxiety.

The program started in 1971 in St. Paul, Minnesota, and has currently expanded to over 1000 groups in 35 different countries. The Emotions Anonymous program is based on a 12-step system that encompasses personal commitment, confidential sharing of experiences, and an emphasis on a Higher Power.
We had some time to catch up with the Executive Director, Karen Mead, to learn more:

AIT: Tell us a little about Emotions Anonymous.
KM: EA is a 12-step program for those who are seeking better ways to overcome emotional issues. People get involved with Emotions Anonymous because of issues such as anxiety, fear, depression and anything related to emotional problems. The majority of our groups are started by adults, but there have been teen groups before.

AIT: I noticed the set-up of the meetings seems to create a nice community, similar to what we strive for at AIT. How does that work?
KM: The meetings rotate leadership each week, where one person shares and leads the group. These leaders are just ordinary participants, not professionals.

AIT: It’s more about sharing personal experiences rather than an impersonal professional lecturing at you! What benefits have you seen in this more casual setting?
KM: That’s why people get better in a group like yours and ours, people get to hear others say, "Yes, I applied these things to my life and I have gotten better because of it."

AIT: How are the members organized into meetings- is it age, gender, or location?
KM: Mostly location, however there are exceptions, such as some meetings are male-only and women-only groups, and some closed-only meetings where you need to be in a certain institution to be a part of it.

AIT: What is the participation level of teenagers in your program?
KM: There have been some teen groups in the past, but you need to have teens in order to do it. It cannot just be one teen and the rest of them adults- it’s hard for them to relate that way. However, teens can definitely start a chapter with an adult advisor.

AIT: How do you measure success within the program?
KM: Because it is a peer group, we don’t have a measuring tool, but the members measure success by how they are feeling. Member feedback is best; we know it works, and some people have been in groups for years. Also, one of the things that shows us that we know it works is an online group; the growth I see in that is great. More people are participating and you kind of get to know the people in there, and once you know someone is rooting for you to recover, it is so much more helpful.

AIT: Thank you for your time, Karen!
KM: Thank you, have a good day!

How to Find Your Own EA Group!

To find an EA group near you,
1.    Go to the Emotions Anonymous website at http://www.emotionsanonymous.org/
2.    Click on the first button on the left titled, “Find closest meeting:”
3.    There, you can type in your location by zip code and/or city, and contact the area representative for more information

Or: if you noticed that there is not a meeting group near by, or if you may be more interested in starting one with other participants closer to your age group, consider starting a group of your own!

Remember: always talk to or bring a parent/guardian before traveling to unfamiliar or foreign places.