POWERLESS in Big Book Alcoholics Anonymous, 12 Steps and 12 Traditions
Perhaps you’re just not willing or wanting to name a higher power. Some people are able to believe in reality instead, and this can work as your higher power. For example, do you believe that you cannot Learn What Spiritual Malady Is And The Role It Plays In Your Recovery physically take a drink or use drugs without abusing them? Do you believe that if you use drugs, your spouse will leave you? You don’t have to believe in God to use the 12-step program successfully.
In the 12-step program, it’s less about defining what the higher power is and more about determining what it means to you. In this step, the focus is on the spiritual aspect of substance abuse and recognizing that something more powerful exists and that you can look to that power as a guidepost. It would be awfully arrogant, after all, to assume that we are the most powerful force in the universe, that there is no ‘north star’ for us to look to.
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You may have noticed your life in chaos—maybe you’ve lost your home, your job, your family, your possessions, or your self-respect. You may have seen the inside of hospital rooms or jail cells. Regardless of how you got to this point, Step 1 of AA is merely realizing https://g-markets.net/sober-living/thoughts-of-recovery-no-17-the-spiritual-malady/ that your alcohol abuse disorder was interfering negatively with your life, and you need to change. You aren’t powerless when it comes to entering treatment or a recovery program. You aren’t powerless when it comes to choosing not to drink or use drugs.
It was a statistical fact that alcoholics rarely recovered on their own resources” (p. 22). We live in a society that tells us we should be able to figure out our problems and overcome challenges on our own; that if we can’t, we’re weak. Being open to trying something new requires a great deal of courage because it’s an admission that you don’t have all the answers. It’s more accurately recognizing that you can handle some things and others you can not. Once you’ve completed Step One and progressed further in your recovery, you may find yourself in a position to help others who are just beginning their journey. Sharing your experience with Step One and how it paved the way for your recovery can be incredibly inspiring and supportive to newcomers.
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They would have been told that employment is not why they were in treatment and would be labeled as noncompliant and resistant to treatment. Following your faith, no matter what that is, gives you a sense of peace. In step 2, we realize this higher power is capable of giving us back a life without dependency. That’s valuable to a person who may be struggling just to get through the day. Having that knowledge that there is someone or something out there to help you can be empowering. The 12-step program is designed to help you to work through a life-changing process with some level of spirituality as a component.
Your inability to assert power over alcohol forces you to lie about your use of alcohol and even your whereabouts. This can lead to a cycle of lies, both for you and for the family members who attempt to understand or excuse your behavior. Breaking the isolation of addiction is a pivotal outcome of Step One. It opens the door to rebuilding relationships with loved ones, mending the fractures caused by addiction’s turmoil. Additionally, the principles learned in Step One contribute to a reduction in the stigma surrounding addiction, creating a more accepting and understanding society.
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This kind of thinking prevents us from looking at our powerlessness. Accepting our powerlessness opens us up to the willingness for a Higher Power’s help. We let this Power remove the problem by practicing the rest of the steps as a way of life. Until we can accept powerlessness, we will not fully seek Power. Accepting our powerlessness (complete defeat) is the bottom that an alcoholic and addict must hit.
For Wilson and Smith, surrendering to a ‘higher power’ was an integral part of their plan’s development. Today, some critics of the program find that aspect of AA problematic, arguing that self-empowerment is an effective way to manage addiction and achieve lasting recovery. The founders of AA understood that for alcoholics to truly take ownership of their recovery, they needed to accept that their life had become unmanageable due to their addiction. 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. Humans naturally gather together, which is why group therapy remains a powerful therapeutic tool for alcohol addiction.