Recovery is also about taking back control of your life. You have to accept and understand that you can’t recover from AUD on your own. Then, you must accept that an outside source of help will allow you to overcome your struggle with addiction. Rather than pushing you to believe in spiritual power, Step 1 of AA gets you to the point where you trust in the possibility of recovery. Then, you’re ready to believe you can manage your AUD with help from outside sources. «We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.»
The way to carry this principle forward is to always remind yourself that you’re at the mercy of a higher power, and you don’t come first. Wilson met Akron surgeon Robert Smith at an Oxford Group meeting. Both powerless over alcohol Wilson and Smith found that The Oxford Group’s treatment of sin as a “disease” resonated in discussions of their struggles with alcohol. The 12 Principles of AA drew heavily from these spiritual elements.
How Do the Principles Relate to the Steps in the Big Book?
Powerlessness means that you are not confused in any way that for you, alcohol is poison. The Serenity Prayer is a central mantra of many recovery communities. It demonstrates the paradox of powerlessness and the role of surrender. Members of Alcoholics Anonymous or Al-Anon Family Groups present some great insight into the healing principles of the 12 steps. Many have said that taking that first step is one of the most difficult things to do. Whether or not you have a problem with alcohol, how often have you heard the phrase «honesty is the best policy»?
Your health insurance provider may be able to cover all or part of the cost of inpatient and/or outpatient rehab. It’s one thing to take personal inventory and admit our wrongs one time. It takes discipline to continue to do this over an entire lifetime.
Step 1 in the Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon Programs
The Oxford Group had a broad focus and was designed to help people overcome their problems by confronting their fear and selfishness. Other 12-step programs include Al-Anon, Gamblers Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, Sexaholics Anonymous, and others. These groups use similar principles, but each has its own unique approach. The Narcotics Anonymous (NA) Big Book states that “we were powerless over our drug problem” as its first tenet.
- By accepting that you’re powerless over alcohol, drugs or addictive behavior, you’ve come to terms with your personal limitations.
- Your health insurance provider may be able to cover all or part of the cost of inpatient and/or outpatient rehab.
The Big Book also outlines the 12 AA principles, which are single words encompassing the virtues needed to pass each step. At The Kimberly Center, we know that acknowledging powerlessness isn’t easy, but we want to help simplify the recovery process. Call us now at KCENTER so that we can help you tackle the first steps of your recovery. We are committed to putting you and your recovery first. At the Kimberly Center, you are in safe and trusted hands. It is a gateway to freedom and a proclamation of progress.
Recovery Coaching
Step 1 of AA is crucial because it’s not just about you and your recovery journey. After all, while people with AUD are powerless over alcohol, their loved ones feel powerless as well. They can’t help you break your addiction, and they feel stuck in uncomfortable positions while they make excuses for your drinking. By admitting that you are currently powerless, you make room to restore power by seeking assistance. At that point, you may discover it’s easy to move on to Step 2 of AA—and all the ones that follow.
However, if you closely examine Step 2, the source of that greater power is open to interpretation. Defining that source of power is less important than accepting its ability to move you beyond your powerlessness. In other words, Step 2 of AA offers the direct and immediate remedy for the problem you admitted in Step 1 of AA.
Step 1 of AA: Admitting Powerlessness Over Alcohol
Almost half (49%) say that their “online image is always at the back of their mind,” per Google Research as cited by BBC. Step 1 of AA references the need for members to hit rock bottom before genuinely understanding their addiction. Your rock bottom is whatever makes you realize alcohol is destructive to you and your loved ones. Rock bottom gives you the motivation to open your mind to recovery. Step 1 of AA acknowledges the need for members to hit rock bottom to understand alcohol addiction’s destructive nature.
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