Step One: What’s the big deal?

Share

 

We admitted that we were powerless over alcohol
and that our lives had become unmanageable.

–Step One, AA 12-Steps

After many years in recovery,
I know that I must not forget
this one principle–I will
always be an addict.

–Joe Herzanek

Whether you are a fan of twelve-step programs or not, the first step an attendee will hear offers a great deal of wisdom. The alcoholic/addict should never venture into the world without remembering the important bit of knowledge that Step One provides: Chemically dependent people will not ever be able to gain control over their substance use. Millions of addicted people have tried, and many have even died trying. Not one truly addicted person has ever successfully returned to social use.

 

Step One: Joe Herzanek

Admitting Powerlessness
After many years in recovery, I know that I must not forget this one principle–I will always be an addict. Confusion on this matter can lead to disastrous results. My substance use took me places I didn’t want to go, cost me more than I wanted to pay and kept me longer than I wanted to stay. My addiction is now in remission. Just the same, it is alive and well–ready to inflict a lot of pain on me. To forget this would be my greatest mistake.

I have a friend who owns a treatment center in the Colorado Rocky Mountains called Jaywalker Lodge. He accepts only men who are highly motivated to change. The program is a four-month-minimum-stay facility, cash only, no insurance. The entire focus is on Step One. It’s for men who have made several attempts to quit, only to find themselves stumbling again and again. Frustrated and broken, they arrive at the treatment center willing to do whatever it takes to regain their sobriety. This facility teaches men that the key to recovery starts with a true admission of powerlessness.

Once a recovering addict is convinced of their inability to ever control their using, they will no longer attempt to do so if they want to maintain their recovery. Incorporating Step One into a person’s life requires a daily ongoing shift in thinking–sometimes referred to as “one day at a time.” Lifelong recovery obviously involves much more than this one crucial admission. Recovery and rebuilding what was lost takes a substantial amount of time and effort. But it will all be in vain if this one fundamental principle is forgotten.


A Humbling Realization
Once the power or ability to control how much a person can use is lost, it is lost forever. Any attempt to regain control is futile. This applies to the user who is brand new to recovery as well as to the addict/alcoholic with over two decades of abstinence. No one is tougher than addiction, and it’s one wound that time cannot heal. You, as a person close to the situation, should understand this fundamental step as a foundational principle.

It’s a humbling realization.

This article is excerpted from the book “Why Don’t They Just Quit?
Sign up for our Free E-Newsletter!

* Have you “tried everything” to help your family member?  To learn about family addiction phone counseling with Joe Herzanek  click here.

RELATED ARTICLES:
>
Read about Al-Anon: The Critical Role of Al-Anon in Family Addiction Recovery
> Addiction: “I had NO idea what was happening to my daughter in-law”

RESOURCES:
>
Recommended Books and DVDs for families of substance abusers and addicts
>
Low cost, No cost Alcohol and Drug Treatment Directory
> Drug Addiction and Alcoholism Recovery Resources for Friends, Families and Employers

Why Don't They Just Quit? Hope for families struggling with addiction.


Updated Edition!
Contains new chapters and info on: Heroin, Shame & Stigma, Harm Reduction, Marijuana, Synthetic Drugs, 12-Step Groups & The Church, and much more!

Why Don’t They Just Quit? Hope for families struggling with addiction.
~By Joe and Judy Herzanek

 

 Amazon.com reviews:
Best book ever about addiction. Written by one whose done it and is recovering. Easy to read, not preachy, just honest. I recommend this book to anyone with an addict in their life! ~Lynda A

Got an addiction problem in your family? Read this book. Joe knows his stuff. This book helps you to better understand those who are dealing with friends and family that are addicted to drugs and alcohol. I have read several of these books but this one is the best. ~RJ

I, like many people, have some knowledge of what drugs and addiction are, but are clueless on what the process of recovery entails. This book does a great job in what it would take to help a loved one, who is an addict and is willing to get clean and stay clean. It also gives one hope that your loved one will survive the nightmare they are living through with their family. ~CG

> Paperback
> Audio Book CD (Listen to the book)
> Kindle
> Audible Audio Download (LISTEN TO 4 MIN. SAMPLE NOW)


FREE NEWSLETTER:

RETURN:
> Return from “Step One: What’s the big deal about Step One?” to Changing Lives Foundation HOME
_______________________________
Step One, Step One, Step One

Share

Related Posts:

Comments

comments

1 thought on “Step One: What’s the big deal?

  1. Pingback: Why Don't They Just Quit Blog · Eminem: “I was a couple hours away from death”

Leave a Reply