"We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanagable".
When I admit that I am powerless over alcohol, then I realize that no matter what I do, I can't control it. All I can do is take care of me and the effects of alcohol on me. When I acknowledge that my life is unmanagable then I can learn to step back and try it another way. Doing it the way I was, was not working, but causing me more grief everytime I tried to change them, control them, cure them. I had to come to the realization deep down in my intermost self that I could not continue on the way I was going. My life was a mess and I didn't know how to make it better.
Gwen said
Jan 13, 2005
Dear Tee,
Unmanagability comes to mind. Change, control, cure, "Them" or "me." The manageable list to work on becomes real clear if I look at it like that. Great share.
w/love Gwen
spacetrader said
Jan 14, 2005
I am working through step one with my sponsor and am looking forward to using this site as a resource. Just trying out my new status as a participant. Step one seems to be the key. Getting it is essential to making progress. Have been in the program for 18 very serious months, and am loving it!
shimo said
Jan 15, 2005
We admitted we were powerless over alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable.
No problem realizing my life had become unmanageable...it had become a "royal" mess!
Powerlessness = having no power...scary thought...but is it? Powerlessness can be viewed in a couple of ways. I have no power over alcohol addiction, or any other addiction for that matter....I am a victim, poor me, this must be my lot in life, sigh!
OR
Powerlessness = having no power...not a scary thought...it is all in perception. If I have no power then there is nothing humanly possible that I can do to change this alcohol addiction or any other addiction. I am free. If I am powerless over addiction, and I am also powerless over myself, then "I" have a problem I need to address. The problem is not powerlessness, but how I perceive it. For you see I do have power over me...I have power in the way I choose to think, power in the way I choose act/react, power in what I choose to say/not say and the manner in which I say it. I have all kinds of power, but the key is appropriate use of that power in taking good care of myself and to be the best person that I can be with the help of my HP (God) and Al-Anon.
captcodee said
Jan 16, 2005
I found step one the hardest so far, and it is the one I visit most often.
I think it took me about two years in alanon before I TRULY found out just how powerless over alcohol I really was. I didn't think that it was necessary, and I used to substitute alcohol for "the alcoholic". Then, one day my husband ended up in the psych ward as a direct result of his disease. I could not make any decisions for him, his doctor would not take one single minute to talk to me, and even prescribed narcotics! He called bawling, and I could not visit.......I was truly powerless.
I am finding that with most of the steps it takes a huge crisis for me to TRULY understand the impact of the step, or the intention God has for me to use the step constructively.....
"We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanagable".
When I admit that I am powerless over alcohol, then I realize that no matter what I do, I can't control it. All I can do is take care of me and the effects of alcohol on me. When I acknowledge that my life is unmanagable then I can learn to step back and try it another way. Doing it the way I was, was not working, but causing me more grief everytime I tried to change them, control them, cure them. I had to come to the realization deep down in my intermost self that I could not continue on the way I was going. My life was a mess and I didn't know how to make it better.
Dear Tee,
Unmanagability comes to mind. Change, control, cure, "Them" or "me." The manageable list to work on becomes real clear if I look at it like that. Great share.
w/love Gwen
We admitted we were powerless over alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable.
No problem realizing my life had become unmanageable...it had become a "royal" mess!
Powerlessness = having no power...scary thought...but is it? Powerlessness can be viewed in a couple of ways. I have no power over alcohol addiction, or any other addiction for that matter....I am a victim, poor me, this must be my lot in life, sigh!
OR
Powerlessness = having no power...not a scary thought...it is all in perception. If I have no power then there is nothing humanly possible that I can do to change this alcohol addiction or any other addiction. I am free. If I am powerless over addiction, and I am also powerless over myself, then "I" have a problem I need to address. The problem is not powerlessness, but how I perceive it. For you see I do have power over me...I have power in the way I choose to think, power in the way I choose act/react, power in what I choose to say/not say and the manner in which I say it. I have all kinds of power, but the key is appropriate use of that power in taking good care of myself and to be the best person that I can be with the help of my HP (God) and Al-Anon.
I found step one the hardest so far, and it is the one I visit most often.
I think it took me about two years in alanon before I TRULY found out just how powerless over alcohol I really was. I didn't think that it was necessary, and I used to substitute alcohol for "the alcoholic". Then, one day my husband ended up in the psych ward as a direct result of his disease. I could not make any decisions for him, his doctor would not take one single minute to talk to me, and even prescribed narcotics! He called bawling, and I could not visit.......I was truly powerless.
I am finding that with most of the steps it takes a huge crisis for me to TRULY understand the impact of the step, or the intention God has for me to use the step constructively.....
Captcodee (Aron)