When a person admits that alcohol is affecting his or her life, they can start recovery. The first step is about powerlessness over behavior that makes the individual’s life unmanageable. This is a common question asked by people who are new in their recovery journey. There is often confusion about whether being powerless is a positive or a negative thing. In this article, we will discuss what the term “powerless” means in AA.

List of Examples of Powerlessness in Sobriety

Those who are trying to get sober sometimes feel ashamed if they slip up and have a drink. But keeping your mistakes to yourself only makes it appear like you are in control when you’re not. I’ll just have one or maybe two; I can drink just one more day then stop, I’ll just smoke marijuana that’s not that bad, or I’ll only drink on the weekends, etc. How many times have we had these kinds of thoughts and believed them? Let’s face it when we control it, we’re not enjoying it, and when we’re enjoying it, we’re not controlling it.

Less alcohol, or none at all, is one path to better health

• Alexandra is a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend and has learned the value of recovery and succeeding in whatever she sets her mind to.
• It has been my experience that doing the steps has brought me serenity and the welcome realization that AA is not just a program where sick people get well—it is a way of living that is rewarding in and of itself.
• Naimi served on an advisory committee that wanted to lower the recommendation for men to one drink per day.
• Recognizing your powerlessness over alcohol isn’t a sign of weakness but rather an acknowledgment of the addiction’s strength.
• The guidelines for excessive drinking, as defined by organizations such as the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and…

When you follow this format, you are participating in Step 1 and admit to the group that you may be struggling with alcohol addiction. Control is a mechanism that substance use disorder sufferers love to utilize. We think that everything will be okay or will go our way if people would just listen to us.

Support for Me and My Family

Rather, look at step one as knowing what you can and cannot handle. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) operates under a set of 12 steps to achieve daily recovery. AA is a group of fellow recovering alcoholics who use the 12 steps and sponsorship to hold you accountable and offer you a daily reprieve from alcohol dependency. The FHE Health team is committed to providing accurate information that adheres to the highest standards of writing. If one of our articles is marked with a ‘reviewed for accuracy and expertise’ badge, it indicates that one or more members of our team of doctors and clinicians have reviewed the article further to ensure accuracy. This is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure FHE Health is trusted as a leader in mental health and addiction care.

Examples of Powerlessness In Sobriety List

The Twelve Steps and the fellowship of AA were founded and designed around those principles. By Buddy TBuddy T is a writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Because he is a member of a support group that stresses the importance of anonymity at the public level, he does not use his photograph or his real name on this website. 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. If you’re struggling with alcohol use—whether or not you’re in AA—it is up to you to choose how you describe your situation.

Here’s what author and interventionist Jeff Jay has to say about Step One and being powerless:

Powerlessness means that you are not confused in any way that for you, alcohol is poison. Spero Recovery Center is a peer-based residential recovery program. It is not a substitute for clinical treatment or individualized therapeutic services. With the Twelve Steps, there is no hard and fast timeline.

The Twelve Steps

It also made me realize that I’m not a bad person or a weak person. I finally understood what an alcoholic and addict really is. I saw that I was worse than I knew, but understanding how am i powerless over alcohol 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.

• While admitting powerlessness over a substance may seem at odds with efforts to hold addicts responsible for their behaviors, the opposite is true.
• Acceptance includes taking responsibility for our actions and accepting that we cannot change what has happened in the past.
• It includes the line, “Grant me the ability to accept what I cannot change; courage for the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.” Being powerless over addiction does not mean you are powerless in general.

Admitting to being powerless over alcohol will help a person to recognize that he or she does not have control with their drinking. Denying there is a problem only allows the person to continue their destructive behavior. When a person realizes they are powerless over alcohol, they have taken the first step to live a healthy, sober life. Whether you are attempting to get sober for the first time or you are returning to sobriety after a relapse, it can be scary or embarrassing to admit that you are unable to stop drinking on your own. Before speaking, the participant is required to state his or her first name and say that he or she is an alcoholic.

• The First Step does not say that you are powerless over your actions, your decisions, or your relationships; it says that you are powerless over alcohol/drugs.
• Many 12-Step programs are well-known groups that use the concept of powerlessness to benefit recovery.
• This is not an excuse for continuing down the same destructive path.