Step One of the 12 Steps

My “Do you not remember the freaking pain you were swimming through in active addiction? I ditch the victim mentality, take a step back, and take responsibility for my life powerless over alcohol examples and my emotions. Yes, Step 1 was tough for me at first because I did not want to think that my addiction, attitude, and actions caused my life to become unmanageable.

Most individuals who end up in situations where they’re under the influence of substances are individuals with problems looking to overcome them in a meaningful way. Whether it’s consuming alcohol, taking an illicit drug, or some other substance, most situations start as a means of feeling good, in control, and enjoying life for what it is. When we are struggling with addiction, we can feel incredibly powerless. We may feel like there is nothing we can do to overcome our addiction and that we are destined to fail. However, it is important to remember that we are not alone in this fight.

Thinking About Treatment?

This is a pivotal part of the program as it is a requirement to be honest, open minded, and willing! I wish all of you the best as you embark on the spiritual trip of a life time. By seeking help for alcohol addiction in Step 1 of AA, you admit that you’re powerless to stop drinking on your own. Your counselor can help you learn strategies to stop drinking and can be one of the people you reach out to when you are struggling.

• Though there is much debate about what constitutes ‘powerlessness’, one can say it simply means that the individual cannot control their intake of the drug or alcohol.
• An addict is powerless because he or she is unable to control intake of a substance and limit it to “responsible” levels, or stop when it becomes harmful.
• Humans naturally gather together, which is why group therapy remains a powerful therapeutic tool for alcohol addiction.

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Addiction and Mental Health Resources

Excessive alcohol use not only leads to more than 140,000 deaths nationally each year but can also cause lives to spin out of control. Admitting powerlessness is essentially waving the white flag and recognizing that you cannot try to drink anymore. History has proven that you have no control once a drop of alcohol enters your body. If you can grasp this knowledge, you will become a recovering, strong person. Remember, recovery is not being weak or less of a person.

„We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable. We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.” When you admit that you are powerless to addiction, you are empowered to reach out for support. By admitting that your life has become unmanageable, you open yourself up to letting go of control and gain acceptance of yourself. The First Step does not say that you are powerless over your actions, your decisions, or your relationships; it says that you are powerless over alcohol/drugs.

What Are Some Examples of Powerlessness?

When you lay it all out, you will see that you did not have control in those moments. Hesitantly, I started on what would later become the most important decision of my life. He first had me think about all the things I lost due to my alcohol or drug use. So I did, and while I was mentally compiling that list I thought, “Damn, could all of this hurt and pain have been avoided if I had not been drinking or high? However, even though I had all these terrible things going on, I continued to drink thinking it’s not that bad or it would get better. This is the powerless aspect of the disease – I was powerless over whether I drank or used.

• It also made me realize that I’m not a bad person or a weak person.
• These people can offer understanding and encouragement as you take steps to improve your life.
• It required a no reservations, no holds bar surrender to my disease.
• Medication-assisted treatment can help balance neurochemistry, especially in early recovery.
• I ditch the victim mentality, take a step back, and take responsibility for my life and my emotions.
• This understanding of the word obsession explains why we keep going back to pick up the first drink or drug.