Our nationally accredited substance abuse detoxification & treatment center is one of the most highly respected programs in the country. Serving as the Inpatient Clinical Director at Immersion Recovery Center, Susan will work directly with staff members, clients, and family members to ensure the clinical program remains as effective and individualized as possible. Susan is no stranger to the fields of behavioral health and addiction. She has over 25 years of experience, working in an inpatient setting, an outpatient setting, acute stabilization and nearly all other settings in the realm of addiction recovery. NA defines powerlessness as “the inability to control one’s life.” This definition implies that someone is powerless if they cannot control their drug use, but it doesn’t specify what happens after they stop using drugs.
In this article, we’ll explain the language in greater detail and in simpler terms. And with the help of well-known recovery author Jeff Jay, we’ll also figure out how to actually work the Step and what it’s trying to teach us. When we choose to see vulnerability as an act of courage Nutrition Guide For Addiction Recovery rather than weakness, we create possibilities and move more fully toward the person we want to be. Our fears of rejection and/or disappointment prevent us from asking friends, family, and folks in recovery. Learn how we can help your family by calling a Treatment Advisor now.
Feeling Powerless Is A Major Factor In Addiction
Figuring out actionable steps to change your situation may help. To make those steps seem more manageable, break them down into the smallest steps possible. Every mistake I made before I became sober I’ve replayed and created sequels for while in recovery.
Someone suffering from this disease did not make a choice to go too far and lose control, and they are not inherently lacking in values or good character. I remember the first time I attended a 12-step recovery meeting. I was there to listen to one of my clients tell her story at a treatment center. This was many years before I ever came to realize that I myself needed to be a member of the same fellowship.
Myths and Misunderstandings About AA Step 1
Our primary mission is to provide a clear path to a life of healing and restoration. We offer renowned clinical care and have the compassion and professional expertise to guide you toward lasting recovery. We’ve had good reasons to quit for good, and we continued drinking or using drugs anyway.
In recovery, we learn that it takes far more strength to surrender and admit powerlessness than it does to try to control addiction by ourselves. It’s so easy to blame other people for our problems, but recovery requires us to take personal responsibility, and that’s exactly what Alcoholics Anonymous teaches. It’s your responsibility to stay engaged in your recovery and work with your sponsor. It’s your responsibility to be open and willing to treatment and growth. And if you end up drinking or using once sober, you have to take responsibility for that too.
Step 1 of AA: Admitting You’re Powerless Over Alcohol
When I broached my dilemma with my sponsor, she sent me straight to the Big Book of AA, mumbling under her breath that she preferred the AA program without the outside sources. My sponsor was a spiritual person and knowledgeable in the AA teachings, and she based her beliefs solely on the https://en.forexdata.info/50-substance-abuse-group-therapy-activities-for/ Big Book. Although I had no clue what she meant by her statement, I did pull out my Big Book as she suggested. I frequently remarked when life got tough, «This is why I drink.» Fortunately, he has some tips for ways that we could all regain a sense of control, now and in the future.
How does AA Step 1 help you continue with the remaining steps? When you’re able to accept the fatal progression of your alcohol use disorder, you can’t continue living in denial. You must first adopt attitudes and actions of being honest and sacrificing your time and energy to help yourself and other sufferers. 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.
It also made me realize that I’m not a bad person or a weak person. I saw that I was worse than I knew, but understanding the problem helped me accept the solution. Today with the understanding of powerless, our number one priority is our relationship with our creator and how we can best serve. Step One AA acknowledges that not only are you powerless over alcohol, but your life has also become unmanageable as a result. This unmanageability often manifests in various ways, such as deteriorating relationships, declining physical and mental health and a growing sense of despair.
- Denial is a classic symptom of addiction, especially in the form of justification.
- By practicing abstinence, alcohol cannot wield its power over you.
- Most examples of powerlessness in sobriety have to do with admitting that you cannot change your behaviors on your own.
Meaning-making is not trying to put a happy spin on pain, nor is it necessarily trying to teach us cautionary realities. Meaning-making simply helps us to broaden our thinking and feeling about a morally difficult situation and keeps us moving forward with integrity and principled action. It is the feeling that we have had to, or must seriously, compromise ourselves or something we hold dear due to external forces seemingly beyond our control.
There are people who care about us and want to help us recover. These people can provide us with the support we need to overcome our powerlessness and take back control of our lives. When you admit that you are powerless over alcohol, you’re accepting that alcohol should not even be in your life anymore. You are admitting that having one drink could lead to disastrous consequences that you don’t intend to happen.