Hanley Center is a well-known care provider offering a range of treatment programs targeting the recovery from substance use, mental health issues, and beyond. Our primary mission is to provide a clear path to a life of healing and restoration. We offer renowned clinical care and have the compassion and professional expertise to guide you toward lasting recovery.
Taking the 1st Step Toward Managing Alcoholism
Over time, this repeated exposure can actually rewire our brains, making it increasingly difficult to resist the urge to use. Part of the lack of control supported by the disease model of addiction comes from the observed changes in brain chemistry caused by long-term alcohol misuse. Medication-assisted treatment can help balance neurochemistry, especially in early recovery. On the surface, this concept can make it sound as though you have absolutely no control in whether or not you recover from alcohol addiction.
Why Does Admitting Powerlessness Matter?
At Spero Recovery, we understand how hard it can be to admit that you are powerless over the effects of drugs and alcohol on your life. It’s not only damaging to your confidence, it can be humiliating. We all want to be considered strong and in charge of ourselves, so admitting powerlessness seems like a huge contradiction to that goal. Admitting powerlessness is what reveals your true strength, and our committed staff is ready to help you find it. We offer peer-led recovery programs that are rooted in the 12-Step program of recovery from Alcoholics Anonymous. We believe that these steps are the foundation for building a healthy, sober life, and we have seen the good fruit of these teachings in the lives of our patients.
- To acknowledge the way these substances have impacted your life is to admit that alcohol and drugs have made your life unmanageable and you can’t fix it on your own.
- By admitting that you are currently powerless, you make room to restore power by seeking assistance.
- Step 1 of AA is crucial because it’s not just about you and your recovery journey.
- Legal issues and potential incarceration are very real risks for many struggling with addiction.
- You may be powerless over the effects of substance abuse, but choosing to be better every day is where that power returns.
Feeling Powerless Is A Major Factor In Addiction
It’s the difference between being trapped in quicksand and reaching out for a lifeline. In fact, recognizing and overcoming denial in addiction can be a major turning point on the road to recovery. Social and environmental influences also play a crucial role in the development and maintenance of addiction. Growing up in a household where substance abuse is normalized, living in a community with easy access to drugs, or experiencing peer pressure can all contribute to the likelihood of developing an addiction. It’s like trying to stay dry in a rainstorm without an umbrella – possible, but incredibly challenging.
We can feel powerless over our addiction, our mental health, our relationships, or our finances. Powerlessness is a normal and human response to stress, but it can also be a sign of depression or anxiety. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable.
When a person admits that alcohol is affecting his or her life, they can start recovery. The first step is about powerlessness over behavior that makes the individual’s life unmanageable. Powerlessness is often mistaken for weakness, but this is actually a step of strength. Powerlessness over addiction can be difficult to overcome, but it is possible with the right help and support.
The more you know about your treatment, the more control you will feel over your life. For many people, simply getting to the first step of AA is harder than any other part of the how to store pee for drug test recovery process. In fact, you might need to experience a personal crisis before you feel ready to go to an AA meeting. Alcoholics Anonymous does not require that you define “Power” using religious terms. All you need to do is admit that Power overcomes powerlessness.
And if you end up drinking or using once sober, you have to take responsibility for that too. You can’t blame it on powerlessness–that is, the complete inability to control your actions. After many years of denial, recovery can begin for individuals struggling with alcohol and their families with one simple admission of being powerless over alcohol. This is the first step of the 12 step programs of Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon programs, which have been attended by millions of people over the last several decades. It may seem like admitting powerlessness is giving up, but the exact opposite is true.
It forces you to be honest about your relationship with alcohol so you can stop making excuses and start working toward sobriety. Recovery is a journey that can seem intimidating if you’re just beginning, but in AA, you just have to take it one step at a time. Asking for help seems like such a simple concept, but admitting powerlessness is a humbling, courageous act. In recovery, we learn that it takes far more strength to surrender and admit powerlessness than it does to try to control addiction by ourselves.
Family and Children’s Programs
Ms. Honer, who has been in long-term recovery for over 40 years, has worked in the treatment field for over 33 years. She holds certifications in addiction and co-occurring disorder counseling and a bachelor’s degree in addiction studies, having graduated summa cum laude. The journey from powerlessness to empowerment in addiction recovery is not an easy one, but it is infinitely worthwhile.