a buddy of mind ..put it in the best way to really understand and maybe you can make some sense out of it too ..
The statement "I am powerless over alcohol" has been bandied about many times on this site, with some people saying yes they are and others saying no (sometimes very definitively) they are certainly not. The phrase usually conjure up images on AA and, at least to me, is often misunderstood or applied too broadly.
I looked up the definition of powerless in Mirram-Webster's Online Dictionary and it defines it as:
1 : devoid of strength or resources <powerless victims>
2 : lacking the authority or capacity to act <was powerless to help>
If I take the first definition and apply it to my alcoholic problem and I admit that I am powerless of alcohol, then I am saying that I am devoid of the strength or resources needed to combat my drinking problem on my own. Before I go on let me clarify that admitting we are powerless over alcohol is not a lifelong commitment - it simply means at this moment in time we don't have the needed resources to address a specific problem by ourselves.
So, let's say that were were to admit it, then what is the answer to not having power? It is to become empowered - but the question is how? In AA people admit they are powerless, and then come to believe that a higher power can restore them to sanity. That power in AA is God, but a higher power can be anything! So, let's look at the definition of a higher power for a second. A higher power is a power that is greater than us, but realize that it doesn't have to be any type of deity. If I am suffering from cancer don't I turn to a group of doctors and nurses to solve a problem that I cannot solve myself? Isn't that by definition then a power greater than me?
Well, isn't that what we are doing here? Didn't we admit to ourselves (at least on some level) that we don't have the power to beat this problem all by ourselves and so we joined ? We are turning to a collective power that is greater than we are individually to get better. The wonderful thing about it is that we can gain power we are seeking to beat our problem right here, by relying on the wisdom of others to help us through the difficulties we are facing. Additionally, once we found that power and become stronger we can then share it with others who may be suffering.
So, you may or may not agree with being powerless - and that is your choice. But, don't automatically assume that looking for power means turning to God for answers or surrendering your spirit for the rest of your life. We are simply admitting to ourselves and others that we can't do this alone.....