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The staff loved me until I could love myself, and taught me how to deal with myself. What does “powerless” mean when it comes to alcoholism/addiction? The dictionary defines powerless as being without the power to do something or prevent something from happening. Let’s think about this definition as it relates to alcoholism/addiction. Cravings can become very strong for a person who has an addiction to alcohol.
One survey of nearly 200 people found a high correlation between addiction and not believing in free will. People who didn’t believe they had free will were more likely to abuse alcohol and other drugs and were more likely to have tried to quit and failed. The concept of powerlessness can be hard to grasp. Powerlessness is often mistaken for weakness, but this is actually a step of strength. For those of us who used the 12 Steps on our quest to recovery – step one can be a lot to take in. For me personally, this first step was a tough one.
How To Overcome Powerlessness Over Addiction
In early recovery, however, focusing on surrender and powerlessness will be the most important. The easiest way to determine this is if you find yourself trying to control or manipulate to make something happen, it most likely isn’t supposed to happen. If you find yourself being in powerless over alcohol fear about what is occurring and reacting based on that fear, you are most likely experiencing self-will. If the situation feels comfortable and fluid, it is probably God’s will. If you come to a point where your life is unmanageable yet again, you have probably followed self-will.
Diving deeper, the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous states that we are essentially powerless over all circumstances, environments, situations, people, places, and things. My ego was rebelling against the idea of this suggested admission, but my heart and my spirit were so broken that I was open to believing that whatever worked for the people around me could work for me, too. Once a recovering addict is convinced of their inability to ever control their using, they will no longer attempt to do so if they want to maintain their recovery.
Recovery Coaching
Until that happens, we who want to recover must accept the fact of our powerlessness, and by working the steps find the way to escape from that hopeless condition. Are you struggling with Step 1 of the Twelve Steps? You’re not alone—almost everyone has a hard time with Step 1 when they first get sober.
- Despite your best intentions, you’ve lost the ability to limit your intake of alcohol or drugs or stop the behavior.
- When in the cycle of addiction, it was not uncommon for us to wake up from a binge feeling guilty for what had just happened, yet with the obsession to use still clawing at our brains.
- There are people who care about us and want to help us recover.
- If you or someone you love struggles to manage their drug and alcohol addiction, it is vital to seek drug addiction treatment.
- Join Recovery Connection in sharing stories of hope and recovery.
This mode enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations. Basically, this concept states that when you invest your personal assets into the market, there is a potential for loss, but there isalso a potential forhuge gain. I was miserable on the inside, hoping that I didn’t have to wake up to see another day of the same routine, the same loneliness, and the same antsy insecurity of just existing in my own skin. Sure, I would rather be alone than with a bunch of people but more often than not I questioned my sanity.
Taking the 1st Step Toward Managing Alcoholism
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. I had a thirty year struggle with alcohol, and opiods. But by the grace of the Higher power and AA I am living a life of sobriety. Your testimony is so inspiring that I am asking for permission to write my testimony along those lines. I am grateful today to have survived that bottoming out over two years ago; life is amazing.
