SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information

THE 12 STEPS ARE NOT HARD

AND YOU CAN START THEM RIGHT NOW

A REAL LIFE APPLICATION

My name is Chuck and I'm an alcoholic/addict, by applying these steps in my daily life and the help of the recovery fellowships I have not had a drink in over 10 years. When I first saw the 12 steps I
thought to myself holy crap there's no way, it's just too much. Especially after having a bad experience with organized religion. Please take a look at my super simple breakdown and I think you may agree just how simple they are. With the alternative being a living hell for you and others until you die, it's worth a look.
Note: 1. This is not a religious program.
2. You must have the capacity to be honest with yourself.
3. They do work. PERIOD.

Step 1 Admitted we are powerless over our addiction and our lives had become unmanageable.

If you have ever sworn to yourself that you would quit using your killer by simply not going to get it and you eventually broke down and did WHATEVER it took to get the means and made time and a special trip to go get it and can honestly admit that to yourself, you have just done Step 1.

Step 2 Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

If you have ever cut yourself or broken a bone and with reasonable care they healed or really hung over or dope sick and your mind and body eventually felt normal again. Can you do that ?. So there is obviously a power greater than me that does not wish for me to remain hurt or sick and wants to help me. Right ?. So would not this same power wish to help me with a mind problem. If you can honestly agree, you have just done Step 2.

Step 3 We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him.

Oh no, theres that G word and me give up control. No way. O K if you need concrete evidence of a caring higher power or God consider how the Native Americans and many far eastern cultures experience this everyday, it's NATURE. No one can deny it's power, beauty and miracles. Plants in the spring, babies, the human body, the ability to grow food, sunlight, water, leaves in the fall, stars in the sky, animals. Things you can see, smell, touch, taste and hear and experience everyday. Fair enough ?.

Your not just going to sit back and turn it all over, that won't work this is a partnership. You have to do your part by simply being willing to not overeact to daily situations and take a moment to listen to that small still voice you have inside you and given to you by your careing creator that will tell you what the next right thing to do for all concerned is anyway. Remember GOD also means” Good Orderly Direction.” If your willing to try, you have just done Step 3.

Step 4 Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

Moral is defined as “concerned with the principles of right and wrong behaviour”. On a piece of paper make 2 columns, label one “Good Behaviours” and the second label “Bad Behaviours. List them all and what part you played, you will know which ones go where. After you complete the list. Step 4 done.

Step 5 We admitted to God to ourselves and another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

You must verbally acknowledge all this, it has to be purged. Remember a cut cannot heal unless you first clean it out. Pick someone that can handle it, perhaps someone from the fellowships. If you cannot choose someone the great news is you can do this with a priest. Even if you are not Catholic if you tell the priest in confessional what you are doing he will most likely be glad to help you with this. After you admit all this and truly are sorry for the bad. Step 5 done.

Step 6 We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

You don't just sit back and wait for your higher power to pluck out your character defects, remember this is a partnership you have to do your part. Step 6 is about rebooting your moral compass. A genuine willingness on your part to say those behaviors are not something I care to take part in anymore. If your ready to phase out bad behaviors behind for better ones. Step 6 done.

Step 7 We humbly ask him to remove our shortcomings.

Shortcomings are just that, coming up short. In our new lives half measures give us nothing. We are now open to carry things through to completion. If you are willing to recognize and work on this for real. Step 7 done.

Step 8 We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.

To “ Harm “ is to inflict physical or mental damage on someone. Make a complete list of these folks, you'll know who should be on it. If you truly regret what you did to these people and the opportunity for you to tell them presented itself and you would be willing to do it without hesitation. Step 8 done.

Step 9 We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

Read this step carefully, there may be some folks it's just better not to approach because even more damage could be done. For the ones you can approach this must be done, remember that cut with the dirt in it, still won't heal till it's cleaned out. You may not know how they will react, could be o. k. or bad but if you are to move ahead and want to truly create a better quality you and believe yourself that you are, this must be done. Once you contacted everyone that it's o. k. to contact be it face to face, e mail, letter, or phone call. Step 9 done.

Step 10 We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

I love this step, this is a maintenance step, no one is right all the time we all make mistakes, THAT'S HOW WE LEARN WHAT NOT TO DO. The truly beautiful part of step 10 is that when we do make mistakes we can stop right then and there and say “ I screwed up “ it's a good feeling. It keeps us healthy and free. If your willing to do this. Step 10 done.

Step 11 We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our concious contact with God as we understood Him praying only for the knowledge of his will for us and the power to carry that out.

Prayer and meditation, oh **** do I have to go to church everyday and take meditation classes from a monk. NO. Prayer I believe is asking your higher power ( your partner ) the best way to handle something and meditation is being willing to listen to that input from your higher power. Next is the desire and action to carry it out to the best of your ability for all concerned. This is an ongoing maintenance step too. If you want to keep doing the next right thing. Step 11 done.

Step 12 Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to addicts / alcoholics and to practice this principles in all our affairs.

What is a spiritual awakening ?. Is it a religious experience ? NO. Well it could be but it's not necessary. Your spirit is the positive energy inside you that makes you unique. Your talents, what you enjoy, what excites you, your ambition, your smile, your laugh, your ideas, your dreams, your hopes. All of these have been put to sleep by our addiction but now they are back and alive. Now in your life you may very well come in contact with someone who is still addicted or knows someone who is struggling with addiction. You are now in a truly unique position to share your experience and are living proof that recovery and a reasonably happy life are available to them too. This is also an ongoing maintenance step. Step 12 done.

PLEASE attend meetings at the fellowship of your choice. It is one of the most powerful tools
that is always available to you.

Thanks Chuck Pittsburgh