A member shares what life was like before he got a PRG (Pressure Relief Group) and began looking at how he dealt with his creditors:

“When I first came into DA I had a lot of rage. Not anger. Rage.  I battled creditors daily. I was combative, even at meetings, at the slightest hint that I might be doing more damage than good.

It wasn’t until my first pressure relief meeting that I realized my attitude was way off-base. I was way too emotionally invested in my creditors’ approval of me. Plus I never gave them a chance to find common ground before I would lash into them on the phone. The minute I opened my mouth, I lost.

Now I know that ‘when I lose it, I lose’.”

DA’s Tool Four is “Pressure Relief Groups and Pressure Relief Meetings”:

“After we have gained some familiarity with the D.A. program, we organize Pressure Relief Groups consisting of ourselves and two other recovering debtors who have not incurred unsecured debt for at least 90 days and who usually have more experience in the program. The group meets in a series of Pressure Relief Meetings to review our financial situation. These meetings typically result in the formulation of a spending plan and an action plan.”

Preparing our numbers and meeting with two members of DA requires humility and patience. It’s a huge step in the right direction.

Here are some great excuses for not having a “PRG”:

• Not having tracked current expense and income for a while.  (There is no time like the present though – start today!)
• Feeling uncomfortable discussing money.  (But really, you are not so unique.  We’ve all been there, and we all still need regular PRGs ourselves).
• No one is suitable in your group to participate in a PRG.  (If you are really stuck, you can usually find PRG help by contacting your local intergroup or asking for help on one of the phone meetings)
• No time. (Really?  Did you manage to have enough time to shop during the last gift-giving season?)

Am I overdue for a Pressure Relief Meeting?  

Meditation for today:

Our attitude should always be one of humility, placing principles before personalities. When we focus on facts (our numbers and the lifestyle that got them that way ) and try to find common ground, the spirit of truth is in charge, and we become much stronger.

Affirmation for today:

Today I will find my truth in my numbers, and fellowship with my friends in DA. Surely my Higher Powerr wants me to mature in this program.

Prayer for today:

I pray that I put aside my pride, bring together my numbers, and seek answers to my life’s most perplexing debt questions.

Recommended further reading:

• A Currency of Hope, Debtors Anonymous.  This book is the basic text of the fellowship of Debtors Anonymous.
• How to Get Out of Debt, Stay Out of Debt, and Live Prosperously*: Based on the Proven Principles and Techniques of Debtors Anonymous by Jerrold Mundis.

(By clicking the above book links you will be brought to Amazon.com.  If you decide to make a purchase, Amazon gives us a commission.  Using these book links in no way increases your cost of purchase.  It helps us defray the costs of running this website.  Please do not use a credit card to make the purchase.)

• Debtors Anonymous.org. This is the official website of Debtors Anonymous, the Twelve Step fellowship for recovery from compulsive debting.  There you can find meeting locations, and more literature about the fellowship.