Emotional Overload (EOA)

Emotional Overload (EOA)

12 steps

1. We admitted we were powerless over emotional overload — that our lives had become unmanageable.

2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to centeredness.

3. Made a decision to turn our energy and emotions over to the care of that Power as we understand It.

4. Made a searching and fearless inventory of the spaces, people, and situations that overwhelm us.

5. Admitted to our Higher Power, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our energetic fears and reactions.

6. Became entirely ready to allow our Higher Power to help us build healthy emotional boundaries.

7. Humbly asked our Higher Power to strengthen our ability to stay present without becoming consumed.

8. Made a list of all the times we avoided support out of fear — and became willing to show up differently.

9. Made amends to ourselves by practicing gentle exposure to safe support spaces, except when to do so would harm our recovery.

10. Continued to take personal inventory of our emotional boundaries and when we feel at risk of disassociating.

11. Sought through meditation, prayer, or grounding practices to improve our conscious contact with our Higher Power, seeking the knowledge of true presence and the power to maintain it.

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we carried this message to others like us and practiced these principles in all our affairs.

13th Step Safeguard

We are here to heal, not to merge. We do not use this program as a place to take on others' trauma, adopt their energy, or lose ourselves in their pain. We practice discernment, grounding, and self-awareness to ensure that support does not come at the cost of self.

12 Traditions

1. Our common welfare comes first; personal boundaries depend on group unity.

2. For our group purpose, there is but one ultimate authority — a Power greater than ourselves.

3. The only requirement for EOA membership is a desire to stop losing ourselves to emotional overload.

4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or EOA as a whole.

5. Each group has but one primary purpose — to help those who fear being consumed by the emotional energy of others.

6. An EOA group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the EOA name to any outside enterprise, lest problems of identity divert us.

7. Every EOA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.

8. EOA should remain forever non-professional, but our service centers may employ special workers.

9. EOA, as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.

10. EOA has no opinion on outside issues; hence, the EOA name ought never be drawn into public controversy.

11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films.

12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, reminding us to place principles before personalities.

12 Promises

1. We will learn to stay present without losing ourselves.

2. We will develop healthy emotional boundaries.

3. We will be able to attend support spaces without fear of disassociation.

4. We will intuitively know how to protect our energy.

5. We will lose the fear of being consumed by others' emotions.

6. We will experience serenity in shared spaces.

7. We will recognize our triggers and respond with grace.

8. We will learn to ground ourselves even in overwhelming environments.

9. We will find a sense of belonging without merging identities.

10. Our self-awareness will grow beyond what we thought possible.

11. We will gain the courage to ask for help, without fear of collapse.

12. We will know peace within ourselves, no matter the emotional storm around us.

Slogans

• Protect Your Peace

• Stay You — Even in the Room

• Absorb Love, Not Energy

• Presence Over Panic

• Breathe In, Don’t Take On

• Ground First, Group Second

• It’s Safe to Show Up

• Boundaries Are Love, Not Walls

Acronyms

EOA — Emotional Overload Anonymous

 S.O.S. — Stabilize Our Space (a reminder before entering group spaces)

 B.A.S.E. — Boundaries, Awareness, Self, Energy — our four pillars

 H.A.L.T. — Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired — still applies, but now with energy awareness

 P.A.U.S.E. — Protect, Acknowledge, Understand, Stabilize, Exit (if needed)

Serenity Prayer

Higher Power, grant me the serenity to stay present,

 The courage to protect my energy,

 And the wisdom to know when to step back.

Additional Prayers

1. Help me admit my overwhelm and accept my humanity.

2. Guide me to trust a Power greater than my fear.

3. Grant me the courage to turn my energy over to Your care.

4. Illuminate the spaces and situations that drain me.

5. Give me strength to speak my fears aloud without shame.

6. Make me ready to release old patterns that leave me exposed.

7. Humble me to ask for Your help in building my boundaries.

8. Show me how to face the times I avoided help in fear.

9. Help me amend my avoidance with gentle re-entry to safe spaces.

10. Awaken my awareness when I begin to disassociate.

11. Deepen my conscious contact with You, steady my presence.

12. Empower me to share hope, not fear, with those who feel like I once did.

What Needs to Be Talked About:

• We need to talk about how acceptance is everything — especially the acceptance that it's okay to need boundaries. That it's not selfish to protect your peace. We need to forgive ourselves for avoiding support spaces out of fear — and to forgive others who do the same.

• This program is not about calling anyone weak, sensitive, or stupid. It's about understanding that when you're highly empathic, or when you've been through trauma, it's easy to disassociate or feel like you're becoming what others are feeling.

• The invisible cheetah we run from — the fear of being consumed, lost, or overwhelmed — isn't hunting us anymore. But sometimes, even in a safe room with food and shelter, that fear still feels real.

• EOA helps you remember: You are safe. You are whole. You are allowed to receive support without becoming the pain in the room.

How This Program Can Help:

In daily life, EOA teaches:

• How to set energetic boundaries before entering group spaces.

• Grounding practices to prevent emotional overload.

• Ways to stay present in support groups without losing your identity.

• How to slowly rebuild trust in shared spaces like meetings, therapy, or grief groups.

• Tools to recognize disassociation early — and recover from it.

• How to advocate for yourself when a space feels unsafe.

• That healing is possible — even for those who've been emotionally overwhelmed for years.

Categorized

Primary Category:

• Emotional Health & Recovery — because it addresses emotional overload and fear of support spaces.

Also Fits Into:

• Trauma Recovery — for those avoiding groups due to trauma response.

• Grief Support — for those like your mother, avoiding grief groups.

• Empath & Highly Sensitive Support — for those absorbing others' energy.

Mental Health Maintenance — for building grounding and boundaries.

 Alternative Program Name Ideas 

1. Energy Boundaries Anonymous (EBA)

2. Absorbers Anonymous (AA)

3. Empath's Edge Recovery (EER)

4. Staying Me Anonymous (SMA)

5. Emotional Sponge Recovery (ESR)

6. Soul Tether Anonymous (STA)

7. Grounded in Groups (GIG)

8. Dissociation Defense Program (DDP)

9. Emotional Overload Anonymous (EOA)

10. Resilient Presence Fellowship (RPF)

Alternative Program Name Ideas (Updated with That Context):

1. Safe Space Within (SSW) Because the space is meant to support you — not consume you.

2. Guarded Hearts Anonymous (GHA) For those who care deeply but need boundaries to heal.

3. Emotional Boundaries Anonymous (EBA) A place to learn how to be present without losing yourself.

4. Support Without Absorption (SWA) For those afraid of becoming the pain they witness.

5. Energetic Boundaries Fellowship (EBF) Where energy stays yours, healing stays mutual.

6. Holding Space for Self (HSS) Because you deserve to show up — without vanishing.

7. Empath's Recovery Circle (ERC) For those whose hearts are open but overwhelmed.

8. Present But Protected (PBP) Learning to stay grounded in group support.

9. Stay Me Anonymous (SMA) For those afraid to attend because they might disappear into others' energy.

Boundary Keepers Fellowship (BKF)

 A space to build strength, not absorb struggle.

Build:

me a 12-step program about feeling that I can't go to as 12-step program because I will emotionally take on all energetic means and then I will disassociate and become that. Why build this because everybody needs support

The program is about:

 Feeling like you can't go to a 12-step program because you're afraid you'll energetically and emotionally absorb everything going on, then disassociate and lose yourself in becoming that energy. But deep down, you know everybody needs support.

It's not just your experience — it's also recognizing how others, like your one of my family members, avoid support groups because they fear absorbing all that grief, pain, or energy and losing themselves in it. They fear becoming the sadness or trauma instead of healing from it.

step work

Practical questions, reflections, and exercises for each of the 12 Steps

Step 1: We admitted we were powerless over emotional overload — that our lives had become unmanageable.

Reflection Questions:

• In what ways have I avoided support spaces because of fear of emotional overload?

• How has trying to "handle it all myself" made life unmanageable?

• Where in my life have I already seen the consequences of avoiding help?

Exercise: Write down 5 specific examples where you avoided help or groups due to fear of emotional overwhelm. Then, write a few sentences about how that affected your emotions or progress.

Step 2: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to centeredness.

Reflection Questions:

• What does "centeredness" mean to me?

• Have I ever felt grounded or safe in the presence of something greater than myself?

• What would it feel like to trust that energy can be restored, not stolen?

Exercise: List qualities you'd like your Higher Power to have — especially qualities that would help you feel safe, grounded, and protected in group spaces.

Step 3: Made a decision to turn our energy and emotions over to the care of that Power as we understand It.

Reflection Questions:

• What emotions or energy do I try to control or hide?

• What might change if I trusted my Higher Power to help manage that?

• How would it feel to release some of that weight?

Exercise: Write a short, personal version of Step 3 — in your own words — committing to turn your emotional state over to something greater, especially when in group spaces.

Step 4: Made a searching and fearless inventory of the spaces, people, and situations that overwhelm us.

Reflection Questions:

• Who or what overwhelms me most?

• Are there patterns to when I feel emotionally overloaded?

• What spaces do I avoid because of this?

Exercise: Make two columns: "Overwhelming Spaces/People/Situations" and "Why they overwhelm me." Be honest, even if it feels small or embarrassing.

Step 5: Admitted to our Higher Power, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our energetic fears and reactions.

Reflection Questions:

• What am I most afraid will happen if I attend a support space?

• Have I ever told someone how deep this fear goes?

• What does it feel like to be honest about this?

Exercise: Find a safe person — sponsor, trusted friend, or therapist — and share your inventory from Step 4. Name the fears and reactions without shame.

Step 6: Became entirely ready to allow our Higher Power to help us build healthy emotional boundaries.

Reflection Questions:

• Do I truly want healthier boundaries, or am I still holding onto fear?

• What would being ready for change look like in my daily life?

Exercise: List 3 emotional boundaries you'd like to have — examples might be:

• "I can listen without absorbing."

• "I can care without carrying."

• "I can say no when I feel unsafe."

Step 7: Humbly asked our Higher Power to strengthen our ability to stay present without becoming consumed.

Reflection Questions:

• What stops me from asking for help with boundaries?

• Do I believe my Higher Power can help with this specific struggle?

• What would it feel like to trust that I can stay present and protected?

Exercise: Write a simple prayer or statement asking your Higher Power for help staying grounded in overwhelming situations.

Step 8: Made a list of all the times we avoided support out of fear — and became willing to show up differently.

Reflection Questions:

• How has avoiding help hurt my recovery?

• Are there support spaces I secretly wish I could attend?

• What would willingness to show up look like for me?

Exercise: Make a list of support spaces or groups you've avoided. Next to each, note if you're willing to try again — even just in small, safe ways.

Step 9: Made amends to ourselves by practicing gentle exposure to safe support spaces, except when to do so would harm our recovery.

Reflection Questions:

• What would it look like to make amends to myself for hiding from help?

• How can I gently re-enter support spaces without rushing?

• How will I know when I'm ready, and when it's okay to wait?

Exercise: Choose one small, manageable action — like attending a short meeting, joining a virtual group, or simply reaching out to someone in recovery — as your first step toward showing up.

Step 10: Continued to take personal inventory of our emotional boundaries and when we feel at risk of disassociating.

Reflection Questions:

• What signs tell me I'm beginning to absorb others' emotions?

• How can I check in with myself regularly?

• What tools help me stay present?

Exercise: Create a simple daily check-in:

• Did I feel overloaded today?

• Did I set boundaries?

• What helped? What didn't?

Keep this journal for at least a week.

Step 11: Sought through meditation, prayer, or grounding practices to improve our conscious contact with our Higher Power, seeking the knowledge of true presence and the power to maintain it.

Reflection Questions:

• What practices help me stay grounded?

• How do I connect to my Higher Power in overwhelming moments?

• What new grounding techniques would I like to explore?

Exercise: Commit to one daily grounding practice — deep breathing, visualization, prayer, walking barefoot, etc. — even for 5 minutes.

Step 12: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we carried this message to others like us and practiced these principles in all our affairs.

Reflection Questions:

• How has my relationship with emotional overload changed?

• Who else might need to know they're not alone in this struggle?

• How can I share my experience without absorbing others' pain?