Understanding Step 1 in the Big Book

Alcohol addiction is something that significantly affects millions of people’s lives each year, and there has been a constant battle against this within society for decades. It is a substance that is so easily obtained, and for the majority, it is so easily affordable, which makes it one of the largest causes of death. Alcoholics Anonymous is one of biggest advocates of eliminating alcohol addiction from this world; yes, alcohol is legal and when consumed responsibly can aid to having an enjoyable time or celebration, but far too many people fall into the trap and become attached to its powers. So, Alcoholic Anonymous have devised an effective process which truly helps people lead a good life and stay clear of alcohol addiction; within this article, you’ll gain a great understand of the first stage of the process.

As with any addiction, before you can begin any kind of recovery, you must first admit that you have a severe problem and accept you have fallen victim to the addiction of alcohol, which is what step 1 revolves around. Because, if you don’t accept that there is something wrong, you’ll have no motivation or desire to put the bottle down, as you’ll continue to believe everything is ‘OK’. Appreciatively, it can be the hardest thing in the world to accept defeat, we understand it can be devastating and demoralising accepting something has a hold of you and you can’t take control of your own mind, and we can truly empathise with the distress and helplessness that acknowledging alcohol is ruining your life causes. However, once you do, you can start to source help in removing alcohol from your life, and commence repairing damaged relationships, finding work opportunities and ultimately, putting a vibrant smile back on your face.

Moreover, another feature of step 1 is realising very quickly that a successful recovery cannot be achieved on your own, the enticement of alcohol is simply much stronger than most anticipate. By joining a community of other individuals that are in a similar struggle to you, or with those that have previously conquered the deadly addiction; you are substantially more likely to gain your life back. Whilst you are attached to alcohol’s puppet strings, you simply cannot think straight, you cannot act normally, you are powerless. So, the quicker you swallow your pride, accept powerlessness, and embrace the plethora of help available to you, the quicker you will regain the fulfilled life you had prior to substance abuse, or, achieve the rewarding life you’ve always dreamt of.

Furthermore, there are plenty of myths surrounding step 1 of the big book, although the majority of them are not correct. Myths such as powerlessness resembles weakness, or you should only seek help if you hit rock bottom are incredibly inaccurate. To sum it up, step 1 is centred on admitting something is wrong and accepting powerlessness, but it doesn’t take something crushing to lead you to this realisation. If you feel like alcohol is taking a toll on your life, be strong and come to terms with that, then seek help and rebuild your life.