Thank you to those that have taken our old survey. Unfortunately, it was only 10 questions. It was set up on a free account with Survey Monkey. The downside of being free is that they will not allow me to view all the responses or lengthen the survey unless I pay a monthly fee, which I cannot afford right now.
If you took the old survey, please retake it. The new one that I created on Google Docs is much much better and its free.
If you have not taken the survey, please consider doing so. Especially if you plan on coming to our group on Wednesday at 7:00 pm MT.
Taking the survey will help you understand yourself a little better, and will also help us. The hope is that we can find commonalities and things that link us together. Maybe we can learn a bit as to why we all suffer from this and maybe find things that will help in the healing process.
You should also click on "Follow" for this blog. By clicking on follow, you will get emails when there are new posts here.
We will be holding our Group every Wednesday night. If you are able, please come and check it out. If you are not able to listen live. I will be posting the recorded versions here as well. But if at all possible, please come to the live group.
This Wednesday, I will be sharing my personal testimony, which is my journey. I have to tell a joke here. It came from my wife. I told her how hard this was and how much I really did not want to hold the Group. She had this to say.
"Well, you could say that since you are an Avoidant, you avoided the group."
This is not easy for me. Even though I am a Pastor, it is very hard to talk openly about this part of my life. And really, being a Pastor makes it 100 times harder.
In our society, and in our Churches, Pastors are put on pedestals. They are thought of as perfect and unapproachable. Pastors and other ministers are the gospel just don't share their weakness. Maybe its because we want those that lead us to be without weakness. Maybe we need them to be strong.
I understand this. Strength is an admirable trait. But in our society, strength is confused with pride and arrogance. No one is perfect. None expect Jesus. For one to pretend to be perfect (without fault) is arrogant and prideful.
True strength is being vulnerable and transparent. It takes a big man, and a bigger Pastor, to admit that he is flawed. Its only in this being open and honest that we can find healing for this.
My challenge to all the Avoidants out there is to come.
You can sit in the back and just listen if you wish. You can be as vocal, or as silent as you wish. There will be no demands and no pressure at all. But I do ask that you come and give it a chance.
This is my log of my issues with living to Avoidant Personality Disorder. My hope is that in writing this, it will help myself and perhaps others that are also struggling with this disorder and others like it.
Please complete our survey at this by clicking here. Your answers will help you understand yourself better and will also help us understand us all better.
I also started a group on Facebook. I have no idea if it will prove popular of not. Avoidants tend to want to avoid. Such is our nature. But if you do wish to tell your story, your struggles and your victories, you can use try out the facebook page. .
I am not a professional. I am an Avoidant Personality. Professionals are good and can help, but they learn about Avoidants, and other such disorders, from a book.
Though I do not know for sure, I suspect that I was born an Avoidant. Certain things have happened in my life that made it much worse. I have been healed from the disorder, and I am being healed from this disorder. That means that I still have my struggles. The healing I have received is an on-going process that I have to work out from day to day.
I am a Pastor and run Needs Met Church. As an Avoidant, I want to help others cope with this. We wil be holding this group every Wednesday at 7pm.
Please join us as we explore Avoidant Personalities, other mental disorders, and seek healing from them.
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