My suggsestion would be to trust the program. You sound like you've got a million thoughts and worries racing through your head. Just trust that what the program suggests will work and then do it.
How long you want to stay on Step One? The relief is going to come from the action which follows step one. My personal opinion is if you have an understanding of what powerless is and you believe yourself to be so, then you should waste no time in working the other steps. Momentum is key. The second you start letting up on your program of action you'll run into trouble. We get free through the process of the 12 steps. Free from much much more than alcohol. Best wishes to you.