Step 1 states: “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable.”
When I was introduced to this remarkable program, I had to reverse these admissions because, at that time, I did not really know what part alcohol had in my physical, emotional, and mental downspin.
I knew that my life was unmanageable because I really didn’t like what was happening. I didn’t have a clue as to what was wrong, only that something was horribly wrong. Was I really alcoholic? I didn’t even like myself.
If I don’t like me, I hate you. If I hate you, I hurt you. If I hurt you, what does an alcoholic do? What does a deer do when startled, he runs. What does a fish do, he swims. What does a bird do, she flies. So, what does an alcoholic do? This one drinks.
Once I picked up that first drink, I had no more choices. My life was under the control of this mind-altering drug of ethyl alcohol.
This step introduces me to the fact that stopping drinking is only one part of really sobering up. But, if I only just stop drinking, there is a huge difference!
There is an old saying that you can sober up a drunken horse thief and all you have is a horse thief. If he only stops drinking and does not work a good thought recovery program, then I would suggest keeping an eye on your horses.
But, if he joins AA and really works his program to the best of his ability, your horses are definitely safe.
If one still has adulterous, thieving, harmful, hurtful thoughts and/or actions, it is time to see where the program is not being worked correctly.
We are not the same people we were when we came into AA. We are completely different!
If you can not guarantee your actions after drinking the first drink, then you just may be an alcoholic. This, to me, is the easiest way to know whether or not I am an alcoholic.
What do we do when we begin to return to some of our old ways? We will learn the answers to these and ANY other problems that may arise as we learn about and actually work through the other 11 Steps.
Thank you, God!
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