The other difficulty with the term “powerlessness” involves the question of whether we can heal from an addiction entirely on our own, without outside help. It is true that some of us are blessed with the ability to wake up to the pain and destruction we are causing and make a decision to quit when the pain becomes too great. People who can do this have what we might call good recovery skills, or the severity of their addiction may be so mild that they can indeed make a decision to stop on their own. Many people simply decide to stop smoking, for example, at some point in their lives when circumstances cause them to decide that they have had enough.
- Any substance or activity can be considered an addiction–from drinking to video games, addictions alter your life.
- All of this culminates in my choice not to take responsibility for the feelings, beliefs, and actions of others.
- Instead of railing against powerlessness or relying on unhealthy ways of getting our needs met, we can simply share our struggles and ask for help in getting our needs met.
- When an addict understands that the drug itself has taken control over them, it can give them the drive to finally take back life into their own hands and be their own person again.
Recognizing powerlessness over addiction is the first step to freedom–both literally and in literature. So here are some ways to know if you are powerless over your addiction. I have the choice https://accountingcoaching.online/50-sobriety-gifts-ideas-effective-substance-abuse/ to not drink, therefore I am not powerless over alcohol. Digging a bit deeper it’s clear that we become powerless to control ourselves and the manageability of our lives when we drink.
Embracing a Higher Power or Spiritual Connection
Your life is too sacred and too precious for you to live in the shadow of self sabotage. I remember the first time I attended a 12-step recovery meeting. I was there to listen to one of my clients tell her story at a treatment center. This was many years before I ever came to realize that I myself needed to be a member of the same fellowship. I recall thinking how nice it was for all of these people to take time out of their day to bear witness to this woman recounting the horrors of her past and her substance abuse. Little did I know that years later I would be stuttering out my name in a packed 12-step meeting in Amsterdam in 2007.
It involves recognizing the need for support, seeking help when necessary, and understanding that it’s okay to ask for assistance. By accepting vulnerability, individuals can connect with others who share similar experiences and find strength in community. While admitting powerlessness over a substance may seem at odds with efforts to hold addicts responsible for their behaviors, the opposite is true.
Examples of Powerlessness In Sobriety List
Someone suffering from this disease did not make a choice to go too far and lose control, and they are not inherently lacking in values or good character. I want to give you tools and a process to put your powerlessness and unmanageability 50 Sobriety Gifts Ideas, Effective Substance Abuse Treatment under a microscope. Millions of people have found these tools for self-reflection helpful in coming to terms with the fact that with their unaided willpower they were unable to change their destructive behaviour.
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. This is not an excuse for continuing down the same destructive path. Once you realize that addiction is a disease, you can start to see yourself as someone who is sick, rather than someone who is weak or morally flawed. When someone is struggling with addiction, they may feel like they have no control over their life. This sense of powerlessness can be a major factor in addiction. Eventually, this pseudo-control turns into a lengthy desire for a substance.