Step 1

[Doug]

We admitted we were powerless over our addiction - that our lives had become unmanageable.


The central task of Step 1 is to recognize that our lives are beyond our control, and we cannot continue our superhuman efforts at patching up the many mistakes we make. We recognize that it is time to move from a crisis mode to a prevention mode.

Here are some familiar patterns:

* Alcoholics or drug abusers find that no one will believe their promises anymore.
* Overeaters recognize that all diets have ultimately failed and that they are now facing life-threatening illness.
* Co-dependents find they are too ill or exhausted to go on doing everyone's work and that others have become more and more resistant to the co-dependent's efforts to control them.
* Workaholics find deadlines passing by unmet, forget to write down appointments, or fall ill with no "contingency plan".
* ACOAs become so overwhelmed by their standards and commitments that they cannot get out of bed to act on anything.



- The Twelve Step Journal, p. 39


Note: Nowhere am I saying this is the only way. I am simply sharing some things regarding one way.

[Ann]

Co-dependents find they are too ill or exhausted to go on doing everyone's work and that others have become more and more resistant to the co-dependent's efforts to control them.

I can't tell you how many times I thought I could just zip by this step because it seemed so obvious to me. But then I'd go "trying something else" thinking I did have power, ha, what a joke.

It wasn't until I just surrendered in exhaustion that I finally "got" what this step meant and that was the beginning of a better life, for me.

Good thread, Doug.

Hugs

[Doug]

Step 2

Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.


The process of coming to believe is something that we seem to experience in similar ways. One thing most of us lacked was a working relationship with a Higher Power. We begin to develop this relationship by simply admitting to the possibility of a Power greater than ourselves. Most of us have no trouble admitting that addiction had become a destructive force in our lives. Our best efforts resulted in ever greater destruction and despair. At some point we realized we needed the help of some Power greater than our addiction. Our understanding of a Higher Power is up to us. No one is going to decide for us. We can call it the group, the program, or we can call it God. The only suggested guidelines are that this Power be loving, caring and greater than ourselves. We don't have to be religious to accept this idea. The point is that we open our minds to believe. We may have difficulty with this, but by keeping an open mind, sooner or later, we find the help we need.

- Narcotics Anonymous Basic Text-