dollpart

Bit nervous about the whole thing. Did anyone else get a giant questionnaire to fill out?!

UncleMeat69

Would you prefer the short version of the first 3 Steps:

Step1 = I can't

Step 2 = He can

Step 3 = Let Him

Now you can start on the work steps (4 through 9) so you can
have a psychic change sufficient to recover from alcoholism and
not ever have to drink again.

God speed.................

paul99

I didn't get a questionnaire. There is none in the Big Book (assuming you are in AA?) Step one is essentially the recognition of the state that we are in. The BB lays out, in fantastic form, what the alcoholic mind is like, and the state of our emotional and spiritual landscape. It shows us over and over again examples of how our lives have become unmanageable and how we are powerless over alcohol. Step one is simply the recognition and acceptance of where we are at, and that a life run on self-will is hardly a life at all. The Big Book devotes a lot of ink describing all of this.

As for worksheets, questionnaires, etc...they might be useful perhaps in getting specific to you, but in the end they are unnecessary. I find that spending so much time on goodbye letters, detailed lists of how alcohol has ruined our lives, etc. also hold us back from moving forward in the steps, as we tend to dwell (and as alcoholics, we love dwelling!).

Regardless, it's great that you are starting out on this journey!

tomsteve

nope. I used the BB. I fit the descriptions in the BB what powerless over alcohol means, what an unmanageable life is, and also had many years of memories of how I couldn't have one or a couple drinks, walk away and have no ill effects- no thoughts of wanting more.
the 1st one hundred people in AA didn't have questionaires and they got sober and they were much worse off then me, so why should I bother?
if ya want to use the questionnaire, that's your choice. for me the simpler I made it the easier it was.

northof49

So true UM, just keep it simple, you made my day! Thank you!

UncleMeat69

Keep on trudging that road to happy destiny............

FlyerFan

No questionnaire here. Lol. But different sponsors have different tools.

dollpart

Thank you, everyone. I think what my sponsor has given me is from the NA book (she is in NA as well; I'm not). It's what you said, Paul99, it does make you dwell a little bit, but I'm hoping once it's over I can stop dwelling and move on with the other steps!

Joe Nerv

I didn't have a questionnaire either. Would actually love to see it though, out of curiosity. Any chance of posting it?

I didn't fully accept the first step until I was over a year sober. It didn't stop me from moving forward with the rest of the steps though. I just didn't believe, in my heart of hearts, that I was powerless over alcohol until I had the experience I seem to keep referencing this week in my blog, "If Only She Knew".

I did also however really identify with everything I read in the first few chapters of the BB. I got that book at my 2nd meeting and read it every night, without knowing anything at all about the 12 steps or AA. Just couldn't wrap my brain around the word powerless, and felt I still needed alcohol as a safety net. I would have drank in my first year, had it gotten bad enough. My HP thankfully had other plans for me.

Soberpotamus

Same here.

dollpart

I'll put it up tomorrow eve Will have to type it out. No worries.

Carlotta

I used the BB too in AA for the steps but I think it is not a bad idea to write down how alcohol affects you, what happens when you pick up etc..seeing it black on white might break the layers of denial for some and also make the unmanagability very apparent.o
My XABF's sponsor had him use those Hazelden work books: they were light blue and white and had questionnaires.

Carlotta

That's fairly common I think, what sucks is having step one together and be drinking because you just cannot process step 3

Tommyh

my step one was a lot of booze and a final 3 day binge
and coming to realize i couldn`t control my drinking
my sponsor used the big book to show me the mechanics and reasons of why my life was unmanageable and why i was powerless over alcohol

Boleo

Joe & Charlie used to say step 1 is done in the bars. Trying to control our drinking.

dollpart

1. When I was drinking, my life was a mess and I lost control of some aspects of it.
i) What parts of my life were a mess? (relationships, work, finance, home, legal, loss of interests etc)
ii) Where did I lose control?

2. Some problems persisted despite my repeated attempts (occasionally temporarily successful) to be in control.
i) Which parts of my life dud U try hardest to control (and succeeded at times) only to find I lost control again later?

3. In particular, I attempted to use some mood-altering substances, behaviours or relationships to make myself feel better.
i) What do I use or do to make myself feel better or less emotionally empty?

4. These attempts to comfort myself eventually turned against me: the mood-altering effects gave been progressively less successful, while the damaging consequences have grown.
i) Which mood-altering substances, behaviours or relationships have been progressively less successful, while the damaging consequences have grown?
ii) What damage has my use thereof caused to me and other people?

IT GOES ON FOR TWELVE QUESTIONS- WILL POST THE REST LATER!

UncleMeat69

Those sound like good 4th. Step questions to me.

dollpart

That's kinda what I thought...

UncleMeat69

Right on.

Gottalife

I'm with you Tommy. I took the big book suggestion. It was worth getting a case of the jitters to get a true knowledge of my condition. I attempted to have a couple of beers and be home by six. I got home by six, only four days later. It put the cork in the bottle for me.

I wouldn't have understood this psychological questionnaire approach. I was delusional, in denial. There was a ton of evidence before that last binge, but questionnaires, frothy emotional appeals, medical advice, legal pressure, none of those things could smash the delusion that one day I would be able to drink normally.

John Barleycorn took me through my first step. I didn't need anymore convincing than utter defeat.