Grow is a

peer support Peer support occurs when people provide knowledge, experience, emotional, social or practical help to each other. It commonly refers to an initiative consisting of trained supporters (although it can be provided by peers without training), and can ...

and mutual-aid organization for recovery from, and prevention of,

mental illness A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is ...

. Grow was founded in

Sydney, Australia Sydney is the capital city of the state of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about 80 km (50 mi) from the Pacific Ocean ...

in 1957 by Father Cornelius B. "Con" Keogh, a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

, and psychiatric patients who sought help with their mental illness in

Alcoholics Anonymous Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a global, peer-led Mutual aid, mutual-aid fellowship focused on an abstinence-based recovery model from alcoholism through its spiritually inclined twelve-step program. AA's Twelve Traditions, besides emphasizing anon ...

(AA). Consequently, Grow adapted many of AA's principles and practices. Much of Grow's initial development was made possible with support from Orval Hobart Mowrer, Reuben F. Scarf, W. Clement Stone and

Lions Clubs International Lions Clubs International, is an international service organization, currently headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois. , it had over 46,000 local clubs and more than 1.4 million members (including the youth wing Leo) in more than 200 geographic ...

. As the organization matured, Grow members learned of

Recovery International Recovery International (formerly Recovery, Inc., often referred to simply as Recovery or RI) is a mental health self-help organization founded in 1937 by neuropsychiatrist Abraham Low in Chicago, Illinois. Recovery's program is based on self-co ...

, an organization also created to help people with serious

, and integrated aspects of its

will Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

-training methods. As of 2005 there were more than 800 Grow groups active worldwide. Grow groups are open to anyone who would like to join. "Grow" is not an acronym. Grow has no affiliation with any organised religion or church, and is not itself any sort of religion or church. While some parts of the Grow program refer to God due to the role God has played in the recovery and growth of many Growers from the beginning, alternative non-religious phrasings are provided.

Stages of decline and steps to recovery and growth

Grow's literature includes the Twelve Stages of Decline, which indicate that emotional illness begins with self-centeredness, and the Twelve Steps of Personal Growth, a blend of AA's

Twelve Steps Twelve-step programs are international mutual aid programs supporting recovery from substance addictions, behavioral addictions and compulsions. Developed in the 1930s, the first twelve-step program, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), founded by Bill ...

and

-training methods from

. Grow members view recovery as an ongoing philosophy of life rather than an outcome and are encouraged to continue following the Steps after completing them in order to maintain their

mental health Mental health is often mistakenly equated with the absence of mental illness. However, mental health refers to a person's overall emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It influences how individuals think, feel, and behave, and how t ...

. The Twelve Stages of Decline # We placed too much importance on ourselves and our feelings. # We grew inattentive to the presence of goodness and natural order in our lives OR We grew inattentive to God's presence and natural order in our lives. # We let competitive motives, in our dealings with others, prevail over our common personal welfare. # We expressed our suppressed certain feelings against the better judgment of conscience or sound advice. # We began thinking in isolation from others, following feelings and imagination instead of reason. # We neglected the care and control of our bodies. # We avoided recognizing our personal decline and shrank from the task of changing. # We systematically denied the real nature of our unhealthy conduct creating imaginary scenarios to justify it. # We became prey to obsessions, delusions and hallucinations. # We practised irrational habits, under elated feelings of irresponsibility or despairing feelings of inability or compulsion. # We refused to listen to the voice of reason offered by friends, family and professionals, and rejected all offers of help. # We lost all insight into our condition. The Twelve Steps of Recovery and Personal Growth # We admitted to personal disorder in our lives. # We firmly resolved to restore order in our lives and co-operated with the help that we needed. # We surrendered to the healing power God OR We surrendered to the healing power of truth. # We made personal inventory and accepted ourselves. # We made moral inventory and cleaned out our hearts. # We endured until 'cured'. # We took care and control of our bodies. # We learned to think by reason rather than by feelings and imagination. # We trained our wills to regulate our feelings. # We took our responsible and caring place in the wider community. # We grew daily closer to maturity. # We carried Grow's hopeful, healing, and transforming message to others in need.

Literature

''The program of personal growth'', generally referred to as the 'Blue Book', is the main book used in Grow groups (94 pages). It is divided into three sections based on the developmental stages of members: 'Beginning Growers', 'Progressing Growers' and 'Seasoned Growers'. There are related books used in conjunction with the ''Blue Book'': * * * *

Effectiveness

Participation in Grow has been shown to decrease the number of hospitalizations per member as well as the duration of hospitalizations when they occur. Members report an increased sense of

security Security is protection from, or resilience against, potential harm (or other unwanted coercion). Beneficiaries (technically referents) of security may be persons and social groups, objects and institutions, ecosystems, or any other entity or ...

and

self-esteem Self-esteem is confidence in one's own worth, abilities, or morals. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs about oneself (for example, "I am loved", "I am worthy") as well as emotional states, such as triumph, despair, pride, and shame. Smith and Macki ...

, and decreased

anxiety Anxiety is an emotion characterised by an unpleasant state of inner wikt:turmoil, turmoil and includes feelings of dread over Anticipation, anticipated events. Anxiety is different from fear in that fear is defined as the emotional response ...

. cited in A longitudinal study of Grow membership found time involved in the program correlated with increased

autonomy In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy is the capacity to make an informed, uncoerced decision. Autonomous organizations or institutions are independent or self-governing. Autonomy can also be ...

, environmental mastery, personal Growth,

self-acceptance Self-acceptance is acceptance of self. Definition Self-acceptance can be defined as: * the awareness of one's strengths and weaknesses, * the realistic (yet subjective) appraisal of one's talents, capabilities, and general worth, and, * feeling ...

and

social skills A social skill is any competence facilitating interaction and communication with others where social rules and relations are created, communicated, and changed in verbal and nonverbal ways. The process of learning these skills is called socia ...

. Women in particular experience positive

identity Identity may refer to: * Identity document * Identity (philosophy) * Identity (social science) * Identity (mathematics) Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Identity'' (1987 film), an Iranian film * ''Identity'' (2003 film), an ...

transformation Transformation may refer to: Science and mathematics In biology and medicine * Metamorphosis, the biological process of changing physical form after birth or hatching * Malignant transformation, the process of cells becoming cancerous * Trans ...

, build

friendship Friendship is a Interpersonal relationship, relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague. Althoug ...

s and find a

sense of community Sense of community (or psychological sense of community) is a concept in community psychology, social psychology, and community social work, as well as in several other research disciplines, such as urban sociology. It focuses on the ''experien ...

in Grow groups.

Qualitative analysis

Statistical evaluations of interviews with Grow members found they identified

self-reliance "Self-Reliance" is an 1841 essay written by American transcendentalist philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson. It contains the most thorough statement of one of his recurrent themes: the need for each person to avoid conformity and false consistency, ...

, industriousness,

, and gaining a sense of personal value or

as the essential ingredients of recovery. Similar evaluations of Grow's literature revealed thirteen core principles of Grow's program. They are reproduced in the list below by order of relevance, with a quote from Grow's literature, explaining the principle. # ''Be Reasonable'': "We learned to think by reason rather than by feelings and imagination." # ''Decentralize, participate in community'': "...decentralization from self and participation in a community of persons is the very process of recovery or personal Growth." # ''Surrender to the Healing Power of a wise and loving God'': "God, who made me and everything connected with me, can overcome any and every evil that affects my life." # ''Grow Closer to Maturity'': "Maturity is a coming to terms with oneself, with others, and with life as a whole." # ''Activate One's Self to Recover and Grow'' "Take your fingers off your pulse and start living." # ''Become Hopeful'': "I can, and ultimately will, become completely well; God who made me can restore me and enable me to do my part. The best in life and love and happiness is ahead of me." # ''Settle for Disorder'': "Settle for disorder in lesser things for the sake of order in greater things; and therefore be content to be discontent in many things."

''Be Ordinary'': "I can do whatever ordinary good people do, and avoid whatever ordinary good people avoid. My special abilities will develop in harmony only if my foremost aim is to be a good ordinary human being."
''Help Others'': We carried the Grow message to others in need.
''Accept One's Personal Value'': "No matter how bad my physical, mental, social or spiritual condition I am always a human person, loved by God and a connecting link between persons; I am still valuable, my life has a purpose, and I have my unique place and my unique part in my Creator's own saving, healing and transforming work."
''Use Grow'': "Use the hopeful and cheerful language of Grow."
''Gain Insight'': "We made moral inventory and cleaned out our hearts."
''Accept Help'': "We firmly resolved to get well and co-operated with the help that we needed."

References

{{reflist, 2

External links