And while the powerlessness in this step refers to a substance, many of us take it further. I know that I do. In fact I extend it to most everything in my life. Especially those things I have emotional attachment to.
Because for most of my using years I thought I was in charge of something or somebody. Hell, I even managed a couple of wars and much of the U.S. economy while I was high. But the sad reality was that I didn't even have power over my own life.
So when I admitted my powerlessness in a detox 25 years ago it was a new kind of a rush. The weight was off. I felt free for the first time in years. Even in the early days of recovery I had this sense of joy that I'd never had when I was drunk or full of opiates.
For me part of the the admission of being powerless means acceptance. Once we admit we're powerless acceptance follows. And the importance of acceptance is that we finally admit that we're nothing special. A chunk of our ego falls away and life goes much smoother.
Powerlessness and acceptance helps me stay in recovery.
