Step Three: “Let Go and Let God”

Posted on September 1, 2010 by Stacey Miller

Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God

Step Three is where I decide to trust God with my recovery. I have admitted my powerlessness to overcome my addictive behaviors on my own. I have realized that there is a Higher Power that can deliver me from the insanity of my addiction. Now I am ready to make the step of giving these matters over to this Higher Power, to God as I understand God. I trust that God can restore me to a right mind, a sane mind that leads me to sane and healthy behavior and a life filled with greater serenity, personal power and even joy. I let God be the overall manager of my life. I “let go and let God”. For me personally, Step Three is slightly less challenging, I feel as if I can work through Step Two and realize there is indeed a Higher Power, than ultimately I must fully trust in this power; My life has become unmanageable and therefore I am only left to turn my power over to the care of God.

Step Three is such an integral role on the road to recovery. People sometimes say “making a decision” to do something is only the first part of doing it. For example, if I make a decision to buy a house, I haven’t bought the house yet, and I certainly can’t move in this afternoon. There are a series of things I must do after making a decision to buy a house before I have actually bought it. I have to find a house, get a realtor, a lawyer, a banker, check taxes, check a certificate of title, and do all kinds of other things. Then finally, at the end of the process, I’ve bought the house, and I’m living in it. In taking Step Three, if you make a decision to turn your will and life over to God, you’re deciding. You’re committing to “buy the house”. You’re committed to turning your life and your will over to God. But you haven’t completed the transaction when you say the words of commitment. Step Three allows us to begin the healing process and start to deal with things in a tangible way. We have now admitted to it and released the control to our Higher Power; I believe this is where faith starts operating in overdrive!

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Step Two: Sanity over Vanity

Posted on August 24, 2010 by Stacey Miller

“Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity”

When all hope is lost, and we’ve hit rock bottom, there is only one place to look and that is UP. Working through Step One, we have admitted that indeed, we are powerless over our addiction, so inevitably, within Step Two we must restore ourselves and the only way to do so, is allow for the belief of a Power greater than our beings. This step caused me a lot of problems in my early days. I could never grasp the idea of a man sitting on a cloud looking down at me. So I had to find something that would work for me, something in me that I could not find for myself. Theoretically, once pointed out to me I would start to heal or be healed. So, in a sense, that was an act of faith, or hope!

Step 2 is a step of hope, faith and realization. It is a big step towards God. In spite of all of the failures in my own life – all of the broken promises, hard feelings, disappointments, failures, destructive behavior, hatred, anxiety, depression or guilt in my life – there is still hope. There is hope because there is a Power greater than myself. And this Power has the ability to restore my life to a life where there is freedom from the insanity of addictive behaviors. I begin to realize that such a Power exists and this Power is able to set me on the road to recovery and freedom. Step Two is the rallying point for all of us. Whether agnostic, atheist, or former believer, we can stand together on this Step. True humility and an open mind can lead us to faith.

I came across this powerful blurb from the book, A Hunger for Healing:

“Through believing that a Higher Power can help, a man or a woman formerly eaten up with raging fear, anger, shame, doubt, guilt, and frustration may become calm and begin to grow spiritually by focusing on doing some simple steps, going to meetings, reading the Big Book, and talking to a sponsor. This person is not alone; there are other caring brothers and sisters who really do understand because they are dealing with the same problems the newcomer has. The simple act of believing that a Higher Power can restore us to sanity leads us into a family and into a new life where we can begin to see and experience a little sanity.”

Now we know what we have to do in order to recover from alcoholism. We must undergo a life changing, spiritual transformation. I find it amazing that the newcomer can start the A.A. program without any specific beliefs or, for that matter, without any beliefs whatsoever. All a person needs is the open-mindedness and the willingness to BELIEVE.

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Working the Program, ONE Step at a Time

Posted on August 18, 2010 by Stacey Miller

While lying in bed one night, unable to sleep, I started thinking about the concept of recovery and everything that it encompasses. My thought process could really only get me as far as the 12 Step program, and even really only to Step one: We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable. I began realizing the power that is within just a couple of words. The 12 Step program can be utilized and worked by a vast amount of people, with a wide variety of problems. Addicts, family members, friends, co-workers and so on, can really benefit from the power of this program. I thought it would be fun to post a blog each week and each week focus on a particular step, this week, only seemed fitting to begin with the first.

Step One, we admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable. For those in denial, this may be hard to accept, but how does it really work? According to the Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book 4th Edition, “the fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost the power of choice in drink. Our so-called willpower becomes practically non-existent. We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory of the suffering and humiliation of even a week or a month ago. We are without defense against the first drink.” I believe the delusion of control and power finally breaks down at the point where we are not able to alleviate the stress and our pain through any effort in our repertoire. Evidently what we all want is happiness, yet with all we have accomplished or acquired with our attempts to be in control, many of us reach a place at which we not only cannot control our happiness – even with an addictive substance or behavior – but we cannot control our pain and stress, which has reached an agonizing level. By this time the family may have left; the job may be gone; or one’s health may have been destroyed.

For some Step One may be less of a challenge in comparison to others, but for some, admission is the hardest part of their addiction. After browsing the web for some time, I found this tip on approaching Step One and I think it is pretty powerful:

It was suggested to me that I wrote my personal ‘step one’ down so that I could see it for what it really was! I wrote what happened to me that last time I drank/drugs:

“The fear it created. The guilt it created. The regret it created. The harm I did to myself. The harm I did to other people. The financial damage. The psychological damage. The relationship damage. The mental damage. How it effected my working. How it effected my self esteem.”

I wrote all of this down and then put the facts into an envelope, I put the envelope in a safe place to be taken out, read and scrutinized. After a while the thinking says, “It was not that bad, you would get away with one”. So, when the Step One is written it cannot be denied that along with the passing of time, that all of this did not occur. So, I know today, that if I drink, all that is in that envelope will come back to me again. Thankfully, today, I have a choice. In the past I had no choice.

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Fighting Addiction with Help from a Higher Power

Posted on August 2, 2010 by Stacey Miller

Spirituality is defined as a belief in a supreme being higher than any other beings and that this being has the power to operate the universe. It is the knowledge of the purpose and meaning of life and the development of personal, absolute values. Usually, when we say spirituality, religion is associated. But, although spirituality is connected with religious life, many believe that personal spirituality can be developed outside of religion. Acts of compassion and selflessness, altruism, and the experience of inner peace are all characteristics of spirituality. To add, admitting to oneself that a superior being controls your life and you can turn to that superior being in time of needs is part of spirituality. It is God’s spirit that can grant you the strength and courage to face your problems. It is the admission that you do not have to burn yourself out fraught to solve all your problems on your own. It is the openness to let go of your sense of over-responsibility and let God have some power over the problems. Spirituality is also the identification that humans consist not only of physical matter but also have a spiritual dimension that needs daily care in order to survive. This is transcends completely into the twelve steps. Without the ability to believe in a higher power or a God, you narrow the path to recovery.

Faith, hope, and love are the three foundations of spirituality. Faith is what allows the person to believe that a supreme being is helping them in times of trouble, sorrow, and pain. Faith is the belief that God will never abandon or forget you during your time of need. Furthermore, spirituality is quickly identified in people who have hope and trust in God’s mercy, wisdom and justice. Their hope enables them to “let go and let God.” Their hope enables them to hand over their sense of over responsibility, guilt, rescuing and enabling to God’s hands. When you believe in your higher power, you also believe you can transform yourself–even if everyone around you says you can’t. So when you get right down to it, your higher power is what enables you to believe in yourself. And when you believe in yourself, the possibilities are endless. You can walk through your fears and doubts and become who you were always meant to be.

The border between spirituality and religion raises a conflict. People may sometimes use the two terms interchangeably, yet one should be clarified with its distinction. Religion is an institution established by man for various reasons- exert control; instill morality, stroke egos, or whatever it does. On the other hand, spirituality is born in a person and develops in the person. It may be kick started by a religion, or it may be kick started by a revelation. Spirituality extends to all facets of a person’s life. Spirituality is chosen while religion is often times forced.

Regardless of skin color, economic status, or religious back round, people become in need of a higher power; whether it be God, Allah, Jesus Christ, or just plain and simple a higher power. For millions of addicts, their drug of choice is no longer working, it’s no longing doing what they need and they need a solution. More often than not, the solution is letting go and letting a higher power guide you. Working the Twelve-Step program efficiently and effectively.

Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93632793

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12-Step Support Groups

Posted on June 1, 2010 by Stacey Miller

The twelve-step program is a component of 12 Step Drug Rehab, originating from Alcoholics Anonymous, that emphasizes the disease concept, abstinence, and the twelve steps. Alcoholics Anonymous is a worldwide support group formed in 1935 for the purpose of rehabilitating alcoholics; AA originated the 12-step program.

Alcoholics Anonymous is the “grandfather” of all 12-step programs. Today it seems like literally there is a 12-step program for just about everything! Some of the most widely recognized include Marijuana AnonymousNarcotics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous, Nicotine Anonymous, Crystal Meth Anonymous, and Gamblers Anonymous. These self-help programs lack a professional staff to direct and supervise activities. Instead, a gathering of individuals who share similar struggles meet regularly (daily or weekly) to share their experiences, strength, support, encouragement, and hope with one another. Ideally, support groups are strictly confidential, and typically anonymous, so that participants can speak freely.

The most popular recovery group in the United States and throughout the world is Alcoholics Anonymous. AA seeks to help chemically dependent people stay sober “one day at a time”. Nonreligious but highly spiritual, the 12-step approach requires only that its members demonstrate “a desire to stop drinking (or drugging).”

Participants attend regular, free group meetings for support and often assist -”sponsor” – another participant alcoholic as an advisor and confidant. The sponsor, someone of the same gender who has been sober longer, provides peer support, helps “work the steps”, and is available for emotional support 24 hours a day. By helping others, sponsors also help themselves.

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Addiction Therapy + The 12-Step Program

Posted on May 25, 2010 by Stacey Miller

Here are some things a 12-Step Drug Rehab Centercan do for a client in treatment for alcohol and drug addiction:

Provide a positive peer culture to replace a negative peer group; offer exposure to 12-step meetingsfor newcomers; encourage a new social and recreational environment which is so important in early addiction recovery; provide the opportunity to find a temporary sponsor and to make new friends in addiction recovery; provide free and widely available suppport and reinforcement for healthy behavior.

Twelve-step work is not treatment or therapy in and of itself. It is a useful adjunct and follow-up, which both increases the likelihood of successful completion of treatment and serves as an excellent resource for discharge planning and aftercare.

It is a very good idea for addiction treatment programs to offer 12-step work with the services they offer for several reasons. More people have succeeded in achieving long-term recoverythrough AA and the other 12-step programs than by any other means. People who are new to recovery, or trying to begin recovery, find more positive examples and mentors in AA and other 12-step programs than in any other setting. The availability of meetings is tremendous – newly recovering people can attend several meetings per week even while in addiction treatment. This provides additional and frequent reinforcement to maintain recovery as a daily priority in their life.

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Incorporating the 12-Step Approach

Posted on May 17, 2010 by Stacey Miller

The largest self-help group for alcoholics is Alcoholics Anonymous (AA); Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and other drug-specific groups also exist and operate on the same AA prinicples. These groups help people achieve and maintain sobriety. The only requirement for AA membership is the desire to stop drinking. Because of the stigma of alcoholism and other drug addiction and the anonymity of these groups, however, it is virtually impossible to estimate with precision the number of people who have successfully recovered from addiction using Twelve step or other programs.

Twelve-step methods have been adopted to address a wide range of substance abuse and dependency problems. Over 200 self-help organizations–often known as fellowships–with a worldwide membership of millions, now employ twelve-step principles for recovery. Narcotics Anonymous was formed by addicts who did not relate to the specifics of alcohol dependency. Similar demographic preferences related to the addicts’ drug of choice has led to the creation of Cocaine Anonymous, Crystal Meth Anonymous, Pills Anonymous and Marijuana Anonymous. Groups such as Al-Anon and Nar-Anon, for friends and family members of alcoholics and addicts, respectively, are part of a response to treating addiction as a disease that is enabled by family systems.

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Addiction Intervention & Treatment

Posted on May 10, 2010 by Stacey Miller

Few drug addicts and alcoholics readily accept that they have a problem, much less that they need an intervention or treatment. It is therefore extremely important if you are the primary significant person in the addict’s life that you do not rely on the abuser or addict to make the contacts to get the help he or she needs. Act as you would if your loved one had any other medical condition that left him or her incapable of getting help alone.

If you are unable or unwilling to openly discuss the issue with the individual with the alcohol or drug problem, you can call addiction professionals who can assist and advise you. No matter how impossible a situation may appear, appropriate help from qualified addiction professionals is available.

Here are some useful resources for getting help:

Addiction Intervention & Treatment Hotline
877-838-6489

Unity Recovery Center
877-83-UNITY

Alcoholics Anonymous

Narcotics Anonymous

Al-Anon

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What Causes Relapse?

Posted on May 5, 2010 by Stacey Miller

Various “triggers” can put people at risk for old patterns of substance use. Causes of relapse can differ for each person. Some common ones include:

1. negative emotional states (such as anger, sadness, trauma or stress)
2. physical discomfort (such as withdrawal symptoms or physical pain)
3. positive emotional states (wanting to feel even better)
4. testing personal control (“I can have just one drink”)
5. strong temptations or urges (cravings to use)
6. conflict with others (such as an argument with a spouse or partner)
7. social pressures to use (situations where it seems as though everyone else is drinking or using other drugs)
8. good times with others (such as having fun with friends or family)

12 Step Drug Rehab can guide individuals through treatment and recovery by offering individual and group time to discuss personal triggers while learning new coping skills. Relapse prevention tools are a key component to success in recovery.

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12-Step Support

Posted on April 28, 2010 by Stacey Miller

Twelve-step meetings are scheduled as a component of the daily schedule at Unity Recovery Center. Upon completion of an inpatient treatment program or intensive outpatient program, attendance and involvement with the “12 steps” is recommended. Groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), and Cocaine Anonymous (CA), provide continuing support for people with drug and alcohol problems. These “fellowship” programs exist in most communities and are free of charge. The only requirements are a willingness to choose total abstinence, and acceptance of recovery through fellowship with other recovering people, one day at a time. Fellowship groups are a valuable resource for the addict, his family and friends.

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