Understanding Why Alcoholics Must Accept Their Powerlessness in AA

Then, you’ll be ready to move through the remaining 10 steps, until you reach a point where your AUD is manageable. 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.

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Fully accepting step one is not always a straight path, but there is good news! The old belief that a person must fully accept themselves as powerless for the program to work has been challenged and tested. What research has discovered is that acceptance of this step should be centered on the person and what they believe is problematic. Acknowledging that, for many, feelings of ambivalence are a part of the process. That anyone approaching the need to change can benefit from the 12 steps regardless of the stage of acceptance that they are in. A person no longer must hit “rock bottom” to be able to engage in recovery.

“The first step towards change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.”

Because it all begins with Step 1 of AA, it’s very important to understand why you can’t skip this step, even though it doesn’t require specific physical actions. It’s because the 12 Steps are worded and crafted precisely to take you to the next step. Work through each one and you’ll be well-positioned to recover from your addiction to alcohol. But ignore one, especially Step 1, and your recovery could be compromised. 12steppers.org is not partnered or affiliated with any 12 step program or website that we link to.

Alcoholics Are Not Powerless Over Alcohol

Ms. Honer, who has been in long-term recovery for over 40 years, has worked in the treatment field for over 33 years. She holds certifications in addiction and co-occurring disorder counseling and a bachelor’s degree in addiction studies, having graduated summa cum laude. When someone who is not struggling with addiction begins to experience the consequences of their drinking, they simply stop drinking. However, if someone is drinking, experiencing consequence after consequence and does not or cannot stop, then this is an unmanageable life. Everyone makes mistakes, but they usually learn from them and make better choices moving forward.

• In this article, we’ll explain the definition of powerlessness and why it’s so important in AA’s twelve steps process.
• This could mean God, a general belief system or the recovery community itself.
• Because the journey to sobriety is full of forward steps and backward ones, it may be necessary for some people to return to this step multiple times.
• This became the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, which they offered as a path to finding freedom from alcohol addiction.
• By incorporating these tools and practices into their recovery journey, individuals can develop resilience, find support, and experience a greater sense of freedom and inner peace.

Step 8 – Making a List of All People We Have Harmed

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. They were personally convinced that they were unable to control the effect alcohol had on them. They https://ecosoberhouse.com/ were bankrupt as far as any new strategies were concerned. Read on to learn more about the concept of powerlessness, what it really means, and why it’s so critical in the recovery journey.

This is when I realized that as long as my use continued, my life was unmanageable! Again, it is a hard powerless over alcohol truth to swallow, but for one to continue on a clear decision must be made or no further progress will happen. It required a no reservations, no holds bar surrender to my disease. When I completely gave up and stopped fighting the disease to admit step one, I could precede to the next step.

• The Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Big Book says “powerless over alcohol” as its first principle.
• The accountability and encouragement in meetings and therapy break the power of secrecy where addiction thrives.
• Treatment programs that incorporate the twelve steps often emphasize a group dynamic where individuals find support and camaraderie.
• By accepting that you’re powerless over alcohol, drugs or addictive behavior, you’ve come to terms with your personal limitations.

What is Step 1 in AA?

Once you realize that addiction is a disease, you can start to see yourself as someone who is sick, rather than someone who is weak or morally flawed. 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 (or our addiction) – that our lives had become unmanageable.”

• Admitting powerlessness in sobriety can empower you to get the help and support you need to manage your life.
• “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol (or our addiction) – that our lives had become unmanageable.”
• Silver Pines and Steps to Recovery have provided addiction recovery programs in Pennsylvania for over a decade with detox, residential, outpatient, and sober living services.
• These groups use similar principles, but each has its own unique approach.

The meaning of powerless in the first step of AA

They promote taking responsibility for one’s actions while also finding solace and strength in shared experiences and communal support. This component speaks to the nature of recovery as a continuous effort, one that doesn’t end but evolves with time. Hanley Center is a well-known care provider offering a range of treatment programs targeting the recovery from substance use, mental health issues, and beyond. 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 sometimes feel as if we are the victim and point fingers at other people or situations.

In addition, embracing powerlessness cultivates humility, reminding us that we are not invincible and that seeking help and support is a sign of strength, not weakness. This humility fosters a sense of connection with others and encourages us to learn from different perspectives. If you’ve struggled with alcohol addiction for years, you’ve likely made many excuses to work around your disorder. You have lived in denial, believing you can stop using alcohol at any time. For that reason, addressing your misguided thoughts is crucial. That’s why admitting that you are powerless over alcohol is critical.

This could be very dangerous because as long as you don’t admit that alcohol is in fact the one in control, you won’t be able to quit entirely. One of the biggest plot twists regarding lacking power is that it starts as a tactic to gain power. 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.