Veritas1

I heard it explained once that alcohol causes us to turn away from the power which is God, thus powerless, without God against the disease, alcohol.

That once we hit bottom, and ask for help from God, or turn back to the God that our disease had us abandon...or turn away from, then the power is restored. No longer without power.

Hitting bottom and turning back to God, the power, solves the problem, so no longer powerless, or without power.

The whole thing is staying close to God, so alcohol cannot make us turn away from Him again.

This is just how I understood it to be. One member's ESH in AA.

Threshold

I certainly felt powerless over my addiction. Not over everything, but over my addiction.

I didn't use to get high, I used to escape, it was (with one exception and that is the one I felt I had power over) to escape how I was feeling. I used so I would not feel anything.

I lived in such a state of high anxiety, that I was in fight/flight mode a great deal of the time. My body and mind were certain that they were under dire attack, a life and death situation. I was nonfunctional when I felt that way, out of my mind, like someone being attacked physically.

I used in self defense. I could not stop the anxiety, nor could I endure it. I truly felt I had to do something, my very life depended on it. So yes, I believe I was powerless, because my body chemistry was so haywire that there was nothing I posessed at that time do deal with it in a healthy manner. I self medicated.

There were a few things I used to get high, CHOSE to use when I was not in a state of anxiety, over them I was not powerless, at least for a very long time. In time, my despair and terror became so overwhelming that using those things also ceased to be a choice and came to be nothing but a desperate attempt to escape.

My recovery program gives me tools to deal with life, so I don't feel constant anxiety, and the overwhelming compulsion to escape at all costs, including my life. When I am actively involved in recovery, those episodes are less frequent, and I am learning to ride them out.

I have accomplished many worthwhile things in my life. So generally, I am not powerless, but when it came to addiction I was at a complete loss.

TigerLili

I consider myself powerless over alcohol because the compulsion and obsession is so great. I can't drink in moderation, therefore I am powerless. If there is more wine, I want to drink it. I'll drink it till I throw up and then have another one. Absolutely powerless.

I choose to not act on the obsession and craving, but I have no power over whether or not I obsess and crave.

Mark75

Obsession. The domination one's thoughts by an idea or desire...

Compulsion. An irresistible persistent impulse...

So... "Domination".... "Irresistible" ......

Doesn't sound like we were dealing with this alcohol thing from a position of ... Well, power.

No?

So words like compulsion and obsession are ones that we can embrace but not the word powerless? Somehow, I don't find having an obsession or compulsion any more desirable than being powerless, but then again, I don't see the freakin' difference!!

Boleo

domination = exercise of mastery or ruling power. Alcohol was certainly my master and ruling power.

irresistible = impossible to resist. Alcohol was certainly impossible to resist without a Higher Power.

At a certain point in my drinking career, drinking ceased being a choice, decision or even an option for me. I drank because alcohol-ISM robbed me of options, choice & power. That's why I say:

Not-drinking has nothing to do with why I am sober today.

JJK

if i take a drink then i become powerless to it.. other than, i am powerful and have a choice..

Hobochk

Wow thanks for the overwhelming responses! I should have noted-powerless over ALCOHOL. Of course I know we're not powerless in general. But over alcohol, yes (after the first drink that is). We're all able to recover, clearly.

CarolD

Bombbarding my brain with alcohol turned me into a depressed sodden woman Idetested.
Outwardly nothing was wrong....inside I was dying.

Kicking alcohol out of my life was the key to finding power...

Terminally Unique

The difference lies in the loading of the language and double meanings, as if straight out of a George Orwell novel. To the casual observer, "powerless over alcohol" suggests powerlessness over the effects of consuming alcohol. To insiders, however, it is made perfectly clear that the meaning is powerlessness over the desire to consume alcohol. The former interpretation allows for free will, and the latter one negates it.

Big difference.

Mark75

Oh, I agree in a big way... Loading of the language and all... No question.

I am interested in your introduction of the free will aspect. I am not sure I follow you.

MickeyAnMeisce

I've always found it baffling that people seem to be able to accept that those who suffer from OCD are essentially powerless over their obsessions and compulsion, but are simultaneously seemingly unable or unwilling to accept that addict are similarly powerless over their addiction.

Terminally Unique

If one is powerless over bodily desire, one's free will is by definition subordinated to that desire, no?

Mark75

Ah... I don't know. I guess, but only if I willed it to be ... LOL

Mark75

Would not free will always be operative?

Terminally Unique

Barring a lobotomy, either chemical or physical, yes, which is why very few people are actually powerless over desire, for alcohol or anything else.

freshstart57

TU, I prefer these things to be said in the affirmative form, so I will state the obverse, which is equally true.

I am not powerless over my desire to drink, so I am free to choose whether I drink or not.


I think that this is the nut of my successful sobriety. How do you like them apples?

Mark75

Well, so we agree

So other compulsions... Cutting, hair pulling, hand washing... All free will?

soberlicious

I do believe I have power over whether or not I obsess or crave. Granted it takes time, knowledge, and practice, but I believe anyone can identify and change false beliefs, which drive mental obsessions/cravings.

soberlicious

again...the mind is in the bondage of false beliefs...whatever they may be, individual to each who manifests the compulsion. I might add that I believe the mind set of "I can't do anything about this. This is the way I am. I can't help it." serves only to perpetuate the compulsion.

Terminally Unique

Unless someone has something like a brain tumor, or is blitzed from alcohol or other drugs, yes. It may not be easy in the least to change ingrained behaviors, but it can be done. Remember that we are talking here about not doing something, which merely requires some temporary discomfort (short term pain, if you will) while one re-acclimates.

I have certain habits, such as spending too much time on the computer, for example, which some might consider compulsive. To a certain extent they might even be correct, but as of yet I don't personally have a problem with it. If I ever do think I have a problem, however, I could decide to never, ever spend any time on the computer unless it was necessary for work.

I imagine that I would go through a period of longing, irritability, wondering what to do with my time, twiddling my thumbs, etc, but over time, as long as the option to waste time on the computer was off the table, I would adapt. Granted, there are certain conditions that would probably require medical intervention, such as clinical depression or other psychiatric conditions, but the human body and spirit are amazingly resilient.