30 Jan Tools for Working the First Step

This blog post was written by Recovery Help Now’s, Cindy Weathers, MFTi.

Are you contemplating taking the first step of AA but need some help getting there?  Admitting that you are powerless and that your life has become unmanageable can be an extremely difficult realization.  You don’t have to do this alone and there are many tools that can be helpful.  Here are some support systems to help you master this first step.

Find A Therapist: A therapist can help you reflect upon your past and current behavior and determine if you need to begin working the program.  Having this support in a safe, confidential space can be life changing.  You can also begin to explore underlying issues that are contributing and fueling your addiction.  A therapist can also help you work through resistance and denial.

Get a Sponsor: Part of joining Alcoholics Anonymous is linking up with a sponsor. The sponsor is another alcoholic trying to refrain from alcohol. Especially in the early period of recovery, an alcoholic needs the support and advice from a sponsor who has been sober for a long period of time.

Self-Evaluation:The website www.12Step.org offers a lot of helpful information and guidance.  There is a newcomers guide as well as free worksheets to help you delineate the problems alcoholism has caused. These worksheets are designed to help you by asking you to list such things as how your alcoholism damaged your relationships, writing about memory lapses, talking about illnesses caused by your addiction and writing about fits of anger.

Meetings: AA support group meetings also are tools to help you. Not only are they an opportunity to talk about your own experiences with alcoholism, but also an opportunity to listen to other people talk about their difficulties. The idea is that knowing other people are going through the same types of problems as you are can help you put your life in perspective. The other people who attend the meetings act as a support group, especially at the beginning of the 12 steps.

Have you started working the 12 Steps?  Please share what tools have helped you along the way.