CarolD

Welcome Celicia.....

Good to know you are here

jennybeth

....because I know what I've lost. I was homeless for 18 months behind my addiction. My 18 year-old child wants nothing to do with me. "Powerless" might not be my own choice of words but I'm not arguing with it! Cuz no way would I have chosen this outcome.

At this point I think I'm really lucky to have somewhere to live at all. I think I'd be less unhappy if I were more grateful for my bed, for food in the fridge. I just get busy missing my daughter and think that everything is s***. Really it isn't, compared to a few months ago when I was homeless. I'm actually very lucky.

mther0f3

My Answers to Step One
1) The disease of infection means that your body is fighting something that doesn’t belong there. It might be curable, and then again it might not be. It just depends on how far gone the infection is and how willing you are to go through the necessary steps to cure it. Then once cured you must know what to do to enable yourself to never again allow this disease of infection to return. What you will go through to rid yourself of this disease will be painful. Remember that always when the urge to allow the disease returns.
2) My disease has been active recently. I smoke it every day.
3) When I am obsessed with something there is nothing else that I can think about or focus on. There is only that for which I obsess and if I’m not careful that obsession could very well kill me. The pattern is the same always. Want, need, crave, have to have it no matter what.
4) It is self-centered of me to want my disease. It affects those who love me the most. It takes time away from my children. It takes time away from my life. It encompasses me and becomes me and everything else is just there.
5) It is nobody’s fault but my own. Sure it was offered and persuaded to me, but ultimately I am the one that made the decision to allow the disease into my life. And now I must be the one to find the cure for my disease. But I know that I can’t do it alone.
6) I feel that with the help and guidance of others who have been in my shoes that I can make it past this disease. That I can overcome this disease. That I can beat this addiction.
7) I got a DWI the morning after my birthday. I had to go to a weekend intervention program where I came to realize that I do have an addiction. I do carry a disease. And I must somehow learn to rid myself of this disease and learn how to live again. I must learn how to find joy in life again.
8) I first recognized my addiction as a problem when I realized I couldn’t stop. When I realized that I could have taken the life of another human being through my usage. First it was the alcohol. Then it was the other. The alcohol woke me up. The other made me realize. I tried to stop but the cravings were so strong that I couldn’t. That is when I really knew I had a problem.
9) I am powerless over only that which I allow to have power over me. I am powerless over my addiction, but I believe that through the strength of God and the support of my peers that I can overcome this powerlessness.
10) My addiction has caused me to become isolated from those whom I love the most. It has taken the joy out of my life. It has caused me to become lazy and careless physically. It has caused me to become lazy spiritually. It has caused me to become somebody that I don’t want to be.
11) Being unmanageable means losing control. I have lost control and the addiction has become me. I want it to stop and I want to be free from the power of the addiction.
12) It started as just a recreational thing. But then it became a daily thing. Now there are no ends to my usage. There are no ends to my cravings. There are no ends to my wants. It calms me when I am stressed and helps me forget about the things that I need not forget about.
13) I have accepted the full measure of my disease. I know that I am not only hurting myself but also those around me. I need…I want help.
14) I think I can still associate with people connected to my addiction, but it will be difficult, and the visits few and far between. Unfortunately those with whom I am connected are also my family. Along my journey I pray that at some point in time I can help them to realize their addiction as well.
15) I cannot begin my recovery without complete surrender. I must give up my disease completely or forever be infected.
16) I am open to whatever is out there that might help me cure this diseased infection that has taken over my life. I want it to be gone. I want to be cured of my disease. I want to find joy in life again.
17) I am willing to follow the direction of my sponsor if one is appointed to me.
18) I am important within my circle of family and friends. I am important to society. My friends and family love me and it pains me to allow my disease to disappoint them. Society needs me because of what I do. I help those whom are helpless. I pray that there are others out there who will help me in my time of helplessness.
19) I have made peace with the fact that I am an addict. I cannot change the fact that I am an addict, but I can change how I choose to live my life. Through the support of my family and friends, and through the strength and love of God I know I can find my way through this darkness.
20) I am going to have to learn how to make peace with the things I will have to do to stay clean. It will not be an easy journey, but with the support of my family and friends and God I know that I will be able to make it on this journey.
21) I must accept that I have a disease if I am ever to find a cure for it.
22) I know it is time to move on when I can no longer control the disease. The disease has taken over control of me and it is time to find a cure. It is time to get help.
23) My understanding of step one is that I must admit that I am powerless over my addiction and that my life has become unmanageable. I accept this as the truth and wish to move forward with my life and become a better person physically, mentally, and spiritually.

When I found these questions posted I decided to try to answer them to the best of my ability and to be open and honest when answering. I am new here and this is my first post. I know that answering these questions has really helped me and I hope that they will help others as well.

mther0f3

I am in the beginning stages of step one. I will attend my first meeting friday night. I pray that God give me the strength to fight this disease and overcome this disease. I pray that God give me the strength to triumph over this evil that has consumed my life.

neferkamichael

I've been sober since 7-10-2011, and this is day 6 for crack.
Now that I have a year of sobriety and am having the hardest time with crack, I can "feel", how powerless I am. My pride would not let me at first but I've gotten over that. I need all the help I can get.
I'm glad I found SR.
Life, Health, Prosperity
neferkamichael

legna

There is nothing wrong with the swg and I've bought more than one for sponsee's and random folks who have expressed a willingness and a desire to start some step work but we do have a way of complicating things.

When I first came to NA, I heard Jimmy K. say to more than one person, "If you don't know you're powerless over your addiction, you're in the wrong place."

tumbleweed

I have been searching for the right words to explain my first step and how TRULEY difficult it was for me to not only admit to myself, but to others as well, that I AM AN ADDICT! I am not new to recovery but I am new to this community. You words have inspired me. Thank you. I'm 11 months clean and I still to this day have a hard time admitting I am an addict in certain situations. So again. I thank you for verbalising what I have been trying to, I guess for no other way to put it, "admit".

barr81

step1. We admitted that we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives had become unmanageable. i am powerless and i do have a problem and need help

Gmoney

Tools of the program:
1] attend 90 meetings for the first 90 days clean. This allows us to become acquainted with the program and the fellowship.
2] Join a home group. When you find a meeting where you feel most comfortable and that's easier for you to attend regularly...join it.
3] Get a sponsor. Listen carefully to members share and if they have substantial clean time and experience in working the 12 steps ask them to guide you.
4] Get involved in service. Active participation in the fellowship helps us to feel a part of something greater than ourselves. Through helping others we actually help ourselves.
5] Get an NA Basic Text and read it. A book written by addicts for addicts...our proven program is found within its pages.
6] Work the 12 Steps. These are the principles that make our recovery possible.
7] Don't use no matter what.
8] Keep coming back.

Mysonlovesme

Ok I need a sponsor..after reading this thread I am now truly terrified..I am going on 8 days sober and dealing with this first step is going to be rough. I want to make it but I know I need some help to stay on track.

Threshold

are you attending meetings so you can meet a potential sponsor?

So glad to see you are committed to working the program and finding the freedom that is clean living!

You can do this. Gmoney's suggestions are spot on!

The sooner you start the sooner you will get relief.

If you need help or tips getting a sponsor, let us know, or bring it up at or after a meeting.

Mysonlovesme

I am not attending meetings yet,
I tried to find na/aa meetings online but no
success.

KyrieEleison

Do you mean having trouble finding meetings in your area online, or online meetings?

SJTChiSox

Good stuff here. I completed the first step in AA but am going to switch to NA as my "main" (I have thought about this for a good week, have a sponsor lined up etc) so I am reading this.

anewlife88

So I am on Day 5 of my sobriety, and recovery. I have gone through the DAy 1's so many times that it is just ridiculous. I just start popping the pills and don't stop until they are all gone, even trying to figure out ok I can take this extra one now and just cut those in half and have half for a couple of days until I get more.. NEver worked by the way. I have quit in the past just stopped no problem and stayed clean for over a year. Then I started up again and realized ok this is not right. I have an addiction, I told someone and they said no your not like that (thinking the stigma of someone being addicted has to be homeless and all that) I used that as an excuse to keep doing what I was doing because I was not like "that". I want to try these steps and don't know where to start. I did some research and finally found a meeting that will be available for me to go without having to worry about a babysitter and all that. Husband works a lot and never around, so it's just me and my family is all 1000 miles away, regardless I found one. What I am struggling with right now, staring at the time and where it's located WHY AM I SO SCARED TO GO??? Shouldn't I be happy to go? why am i so deathly afraid of taking that step....

SoulSister

The way I stopped my pill addiction was to flush what I had, and then tell my doctor and his nurse that I didn't need them anymore to end the source of getting more.

If I don't have the pills in my possession, I cannot take them. Once I told doctor's I don't need them, that I didn't want to take them ... I couldn't call them and ask for more.

I understand the fear of this new way of life, and going to meetings.

Try to take it easy.

I had a sponsor that told me we are big deal makers.

It's just a meeting.

alyn528

In my IOP group they gave us this worksheet on Step 1!! I wanted to share if this isn't allow please remove it.

Step 1: We admitted we were powerless over substances, that our lives had become unmanageable

1.) What does the term Powerless mean to you?

2.) What does the term Unmanageable mean to you?

3.) What does the WE in the Steps mean to you?

4.) Give three examples of Powerlessness from your life.

5.) Give three examples of Unmanageability from your life.

6.) Give three examples where relying on other's help has allowed you to achieve a goal.

Gottalife

I love a good quiz!

1) Lack of power

2) unable to manage or control. Others having to take over management of my affairs or behaviour or both,

3) It means "they" as in they are telling me what they did, and inviting me to do the same.

4) I was powerless over alcohol, alcohol and alcohol.

5) my life is unmanageable by me, but can still be managed.

6) In relying on the God of my understanding, I got a great sober life, have had some very interesting jobs, a lovely wife and beautiful children. God has achieved a lot in my life without me setting any meaningful goals.

Did I fail? Will they kick me out?

Gmoney

1] The opposite of power-full. Lacking sufficient power.

2] The inability to manage or control.

3] A point of unity of the fellowship and the accumulative experience of those that came before me.

4] I am powerless over drugs of any form. I am powerless over people - what they say think, feel or do. I am powerless over things - the weather, traffic, government...

5] The cost of goods & services, the amount of my pension check, what others share at meetings...lmao

6] The fellowship and a sponsor helped me work the 12 steps. My HP helped me practice the principles that allowed me to recover. The predecessors & old-timers taught me how to be of service to others.

Jesusfreak17

thank you for this , this has helped me big time. do you have a link to where someone could get one ??