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“Admitted we were powerless over alcohol/drugs and our lives have become unmanageable”
Even before we get to this step in recovery some people say they started with step zero or “I’m sick and tired of the way I’m living my life and this needs to change”. If you are there then you are in a great position to begin the recovery process.
We then begin to look at the steps as they are laid out. These steps are in order for a reason. One common mistake is that some people feel so guilty and ashamed that the first thing they want to do is fix the outside problems they’ve created while in active addiction. The intention is great. That plan usually doesn’t work though. Before we start tackling the outside issues, we should begin with ourselves. The biggest issue we have when we come into recovery is our use of drugs and/or alcohol. If that doesn’t stop then our problems will never be solved and they will continue to get worse.
The first step has two parts. The first part of the step talks about powerlessness. For most of us, our intentions are good. We don’t wake up and believe that we are going to do some of the horrible things we do while we are in active addiction. Once we take that first drink or drug though, all of our good intentions are “out the window.” We do not have the necessary will power to act like “normal” people do. Once we take one, that substance governs every decision we make. It will convince us that we must have it and must do anything to obtain more. There are many other examples in our lives of the word powerless. We all have them.
The second part to the step is that our lives have become unmanageable. There is sometimes no constant in our lives, except constant chaos. The lack of purpose and direction in our life is nonexistent. We have legal troubles, marital problems, employment issues, and a lot of self-hatred and self-pity. The last thing that we can equate to this hectic life is that maybe the drugs and alcohol are the problem. We like to blame people, places, and things for the state of our lives. The problem is that we blame the wrong people, places, and things.
Let us help you to examine the reasons and the way out of active addiction. When you come to Clearbrook these are our primary goals. To help you see and come up with the proper techniques and beliefs that you can use to turn your life around. We will show you how to apply the tools of recovery in a way that creates lasting sobriety. You only need to be honest, open minded, and willing. Please pick the phone up and call us. We are here to help.
