Prior to entering the substance abuse and mental health field, Shannon was a Corporate Executive for 18 years. Step 1 of AA is crucial because it’s not just about you and your recovery journey. After all, while people with AUD are powerless over alcohol, their loved ones feel powerless as well. They can’t help you break your addiction, and they feel stuck in uncomfortable positions while they make excuses for your drinking. By admitting that you are currently powerless, you make room to restore power by seeking assistance. At that point, you may discover it’s easy to move on to Step 2 of AA—and all the ones that follow.
Silver Pines and Steps to Recovery have provided addiction recovery programs in Pennsylvania for over a decade with detox, residential, outpatient, and sober living services. Last year, we expanded our services to include robust mental health treatment, a new outpatient location, and https://g-markets.net/sober-living/top-10-best-sober-living-homes-in-boston-ma/ specialized programming for our nation’s veterans, with more to come this year! We are visually recognizing our growth with a unified look that better reflects who we are today and the passion we have for helping everyone with their addiction and mental health recovery journeys.
Graduate School of Addiction Studies
Most individuals who end up in situations where they’re under the influence of substances are individuals with problems looking to overcome them in a meaningful way. Whether it’s consuming alcohol, taking an illicit drug, or some other substance, most situations start as a means of feeling good, in control, and enjoying life for what it is. 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.
It’s not only damaging to your confidence, it can be humiliating. We all want to be considered strong and in charge of ourselves, so admitting powerlessness seems like a huge contradiction to that goal. Admitting powerlessness is what reveals your true strength, and our committed staff is ready to help you find it.
How Do You Complete Alcoholics Anonymous Step 1?
Acknowledging powerlessness over alcohol and drugs can be liberating for many people. It frees you up to focus your time and energy on things that are within your control. Perhaps you are familiar with the words of the Serenity Prayer, which is commonly Boston Sober Homes recited at AA meetings. 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.
- “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.”
- So if you tell your sponsor or other safe person that you drank as soon as you can after sobering up, it can be a way of admitting you are powerless over alcohol.
- However, even though I had all these terrible things going on, I continued to drink thinking it’s not that bad or it would get better.
- 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.
Residents at her Irving, Texas, house have to have sponsors, hold down jobs, work a recovery program and participate in support groups. Any resident who uses drugs or alcohol or brings a guest into the house who uses drugs or alcohol gets evicted. Friday marked one year since Stephanie Sterling, 60, quit using alcohol and crack cocaine. It is an addiction she struggled with for most of her adult life. A Rockford native and Boylan Catholic High School graduate, Sterling went through residential recovery programs multiple times but always relapsed. One of the biggest plot twists regarding lacking power is that it starts as a tactic to gain power.
How to Maintain Long-Term Recovery From Addiction
In addition to the title of Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Kevin is also licensed by the state of Maryland as a Clinical Drug and Alcohol Counselor. He holds a Master of Science degree in Counseling and has over 26 years of experience as a substance use/mental health counselor with the Montgomery County Government. Whether he’s leading groups or providing individual and family therapy, Kevin’s passion for serving those suffering from substance use disorders is always on display.
In addition, she has enjoyed decorating and preparing a safe, comfortable environment for clients and staff. With her passion and drive to bring success to our residential program, Erin is excited for the opportunity to lead our team in Buckeystown as the Program Director. Erin is grateful to be a part of the dedicated, caring and compassionate Freedom Center Team.
Your health insurance provider may be able to cover all or part of the cost of inpatient and/or outpatient rehab. 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. Spero Recovery Center is a peer-based residential recovery program.
If you want to reap the positive benefits of AA, you must accept your alcoholic abuse disorder and its consequences. Your sobriety will remain unpredictable, and you won’t find any enduring strength until you can admit defeat. You may have noticed your life in chaos—maybe you’ve lost your home, your job, your family, your possessions, or your self-respect. You may have seen the inside of hospital rooms or jail cells. Regardless of how you got to this point, Step 1 of AA is merely realizing that your alcohol abuse disorder was interfering negatively with your life, and you need to change. Read on to learn more about the concept of powerlessness, what it really means, and why it’s so critical in the recovery journey.
Our mission is to provide the most cost-effective, accessible treatment for substance use disorder to as many patients as possible. We are committed to an integrated quality of care that is comprehensive, person-centered, and recovery-focused. We strive to exceed patient and community expectations in every life we touch.