Step 1 of AA: Admitting Powerlessness Over Alcohol

He is the author of numerous books, including From Bud to Brain and Marijuana on My Mind. Whether or not you have a problem with alcohol, how often have you heard the phrase “honesty is the best policy”? There’s a reason for that—being honest with yourself and others is key to living the kind of rich, self-assured, fulfilling life that we all want. John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE is board-certified in addiction medicine and preventative medicine. For over 20 years Dr. Umhau was a senior clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The guidelines for excessive drinking, as defined by organizations such as the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and…

A.A.’s Step One: Confrontation With Reality

One drink or drug hit could send you back into a state of powerlessness. Going to the hospital was what finally got my attention–I ended up in the dual diagnosis unit of a state hospital in Richmond, Indiana. Hopefully, you recognize if you are powerless over your addiction before it hits this point–but in my case, it took this, and even then my recognizing powerlessness over alcohol came and went. If your substance use has ever put you in the hospital, you have a problem. Denial is a classic symptom of addiction, especially in the form of justification.

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Many who struggle with alcoholism have tried to control or moderate their drinking, only to find themselves repeatedly falling into the same destructive patterns. Step One AA emphasizes the futility of attempting to manage something that’s proven uncontrollable. Admitting powerlessness is essentially waving the white flag and recognizing that you cannot try to drink anymore.

Seeking Support from Others

However, the reality is that addiction makes individuals vulnerable and exposes their limitations. Accepting these limitations and acknowledging vulnerability is a powerful step towards personal growth and recovery. It involves recognizing the need for support, seeking help when necessary, and understanding that it’s okay to ask for assistance.

• By embracing powerlessness, individuals in recovery gain the strength to face the challenges of sobriety with humility and resilience.
• This understanding helps individuals to let go of the illusion of control and open themselves up to the possibility of recovery.
• If you still believe that you have some sort of control over your drinking, you will drink again.
• It involves recognizing the need for support, seeking help when necessary, and understanding that it’s okay to ask for assistance.

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• Powerlessness is not the same thing as helpless, and even less the same thing as hopeless.
• Recognizing and embracing powerlessness allows individuals to let go of the burden of trying to control something that is ultimately beyond their grasp.
• What happens in a group of people admitting powerlessness over addiction is a power in itself.

This step is not saying you are powerless over your actions, decisions, or relationships with others; only over your addiction to alcohol or drugs. It is not an excuse to continue in a destructive cycle because there’s nothing you can do about it. 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.

The person with the problem often lies about how much they drink and those around them may begin to cover for them as the problem progresses. When we feel powerless, we may feel hopeless, helpless, and stuck. With addiction, there are a lot of emotions that come with the territory. From feelings of guilt and embarrassment to powerlessness and helplessness, it can be hard to determine which one is actually the most accurate representation of how we feel. Feeling powerless makes us believe that there is nothing we can do.

You know that alcohol is bad news for you, you are convinced, and nothing can make you return to drinking. In order to progress to steps two through twelve, you must embrace step one. You will be unable to go further in your recovery if you cannot recognize that you and alcohol do not mix. In the long term, maintaining abstinence from alcohol and drugs requires a lot of effort. The most effective way to stay sober is by using the tools of recovery. This includes attending meetings regularly, getting counseling, practicing mindfulness, and staying connected with others who share similar struggles.

Cravings can become very strong for a person who has an addiction to alcohol. When alcohol is consumed, the brain’s neurotransmitters, which send messages to other parts of the how am i powerless over alcohol body, are disrupted. Ambrosia was founded in 2007 with a mission to provide truly individualized substance abuse treatment to every person who enters one of our programs.

We have taken extreme measures to ensure that our own user is not going to be misused to harm any of our clients sites. Reach out to us here at Renascent to lend a helping hand or for more information about our programs and services. The problem is alcohol can kill you quickly in the event of an overdose or slowly in the form of liver disease. Medications are closely monitored to make sure they’re not causing potentially lethal problems. I used to argue–especially when hospitalized–that taking a drink to calm down was no different than taking pills to calm down, much to the staff’s annoyance (Alcoholism and Mental Illness). “Alcohol has been around since before the time of Christ,” I’d argue.

• You do not have the capacity to use any addictive substance in moderation.
• When we embrace powerlessness, we develop resilience and humility.
• Today, we’ll explore how you can gain control over your addiction by learning how to identify your triggers and create a plan for recovery.
• Alexandra understands addiction from both familial and personal standpoints, as she is active in her own recovery.
• We offer renowned clinical care and have the compassion and professional expertise to guide you toward lasting recovery.

If You Are Powerless Over Your Addiction

Asking for help seems like such a simple concept, but admitting powerlessness is a humbling, courageous act. In recovery, we learn that it takes far more strength to surrender and admit powerlessness than it does to try to control addiction by ourselves. 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.