Step 1 of AA: Admitting Powerlessness Over Alcohol

This is different from the inability to manage one’s life, which is what most people think of when they hear the word unmanageable. In fact, many people who struggle with addiction feel like they have little power over their disease but still want to change. Most recovering addicts, especially those who attend the 12-step program, are pretty familiar with the concept of powerlessness. After all, helplessness isn’t a concept that solely applies to addiction, although it might be the first step to recovery and sobriety. Addiction treatment centers discuss the concept of powerlessness in therapy to help people recover.

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. 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. In essence, in Step One AA you’re making a conscious choice to stop lying to yourself.

What Makes Addiction Recovery a Challenging Process?

AA meetings are helpful for many individuals in recovery from alcohol addiction. These meetings may even be part of the programming at inpatient rehab or outpatient programs you attend. Services offered by your treatment team can work alongside the 12 Steps to help you find your path to recovery. Sometimes substance use puts you in the hospital by causing legal problems and the cops take you there for a blood draw or to dry out. Sometimes substance use puts you in the hospital by causing physical problems such as alcohol poisoning or liver damage.

A crucial part of completing AA Step one revolves around admitting powerlessness. Step 1 of AA requires a great deal of strength and courage as you accept that alcohol has taken over your life. Humans naturally gather together, which is why group therapy remains a powerful therapeutic tool for alcohol addiction.

Renewal Center for Ongoing Recovery

What we can do is turn to a Power greater than ourselves for help. But the terminal stages of addiction will strip everything away, and an addicted person who refuses to recover will often be left with nothing. The Narcotics Anonymous (NA) Big Book states that “we were powerless over our drug problem” as its first tenet. Like AA members, NA members believe they cannot control drugs without the help of a higher power. It’s not easy to admit this, but if we don’t accept that we are powerless, then we won’t be able to move forward.

While many peer support groups have adopted or adapted the 12 Steps to fit their philosophies, LifeRing and these other secular organizations have not. There’s a big difference between prescribed medication and self-medicating. For starters, antidepressants don’t turn into formaldehyde in your liver like alcohol does, according to my psychiatrist. Another thing–antidepressants don’t work on people who don’t have a mental illness, whereas alcohol affects everybody. A third difference–you can usually predict how a medication will affect you after taking it for a while.

Some Examples of Powerlessness

Enlightened Recovery Solutions offers a holistic based, 12-step inspired, clinically proven program for alcoholism and co-occurring disorders. Call (844) 234-LIVE today for information on our partial care programs. Eventually, this pseudo-control turns into a lengthy desire for a substance. One of the more common feelings is the inability to manage timelines and behaviors and keep track of daily routines and tasks. Have you ever anticipated an event so much that you just waited around in bed all day until it came?

• You may have tried to control your behavior under the influence, or cut back on use to a level that feels more reasonable.
• As a brand, we prefer to use person-first language to avoid defining people by their condition and the stigma that may come with it.
• You are not as “in control” as you think you are, and it is admitting this that is the first step towards realizing you need help.
• Regardless of what addicts identify as their own personal higher power, it’s an expression that means they’re accountable to someone or something that’s bigger, more powerful and more influential than themselves.
• Knowing your limitations helps you to succeed and accomplish your goals.

This is the “wpengine” admin user that our staff uses to gain access to your admin area to provide support and troubleshooting. It can only be accessed by a button in our secure log that auto generates powerless over alcohol a password and dumps that password after the staff member has logged in. We have taken extreme measures to ensure that our own user is not going to be misused to harm any of our clients sites.

Take an active role in choosing the treatment that you want to receive. Ask questions and get as much information as you can about your options. The more you know about your treatment, the more control you will feel over your life. Some people believe AA is intricately tied to religion by seeking a “higher power.” Rather, AA members are encouraged to understand they’re powerless in changing their addictive behavior. In fact, many members don’t perceive a need for a “higher power.” Instead of seeking spirituality, which helps in recovery, they seek assistance from the AA fellowship.

You might be avoiding taking the first step toward recovery due to myths and misunderstandings surrounding AA and its steps. Step 1 of AA acknowledges the need for members to hit rock bottom to understand alcohol addiction’s destructive nature. As a brand, we prefer to use person-first language to avoid defining people by their condition and the stigma that may come with it.