The First Step: Powerlessness in Addiction

For a person to admit their powerlessness in addiction to drugs or alcohol is a monumental first step to recovery. For some, the concept of powerlessness can be troublesome. The trouble may lie in the fact that we seem to be hardwired to think we have control over people, places, and things. Powerlessness may indicate weakness and helplessness; some may think it fosters a victim mentality.

The first step of any Twelve Step program reads: we admitted we were powerless over (insert substance or object at the center of the addiction) and that our lives have become unmanageable. The language used in that sentence is straight forward, and well, that is the point. We may not be powerlessness beings, but in the grips of addiction, there is a vulnerability and we are at our lowest physically, mentally, and spiritually. Those moments of feeling powerless and admitting powerlessness should lead to surrender, which is what a recovery program is trying to convey.

When the focus is the struggle with the semantics of the word powerlessness, the underlying issue of the problem with addiction is ignored. Arguing and complaining, in many respects, create a smokescreen of self-defense in order to protect ourselves from facing what is directly in front of us. In various twelve step programs, as well as other nontraditional programs, it is not about the language, it is about the deeper meaning of the process itself and about transformation.

This transformation is not just physical; it is mental and spiritual, as well. The first step, admitting that we are powerless over our addiction, does not mean that we are powerless or weak individuals. Powerlessness means that immersing ourselves wholly into pleasure is flawed and has consequences.

If there is a struggle with understanding powerlessness and how it relates to oneself and addiction, looking at a different philosophy may provide the insight needed to get over that hump. For example, Buddhism can provide an individual with a fresh take on powerlessness, what it can do to a being, and what needs to be done to get past its grip. In his blog, The First Step in Buddhism and Recovery is Letting Go, Kevin Griffin explains the parallels between Buddhism and the First Step and how the powerlessness is viewed in similar ways.

Griffin, a Buddhist author and teacher who also speaks extensively about addiction, points out how 12 Step and Buddhist thought intersect. For example, the starting point to understanding addiction is to see the truth.

In twelve step circles, it is coming out of denial; while in Buddhist thought it is called shedding delusion. In Buddhism, being honest is admitting what we desire is unrealistic in finding true happiness. Letting go, or surrendering those tendencies of craving, desiring, and clinging is the solution found in both schools of thought.

Griffin states, what Buddhism shows is when we try to create perfection with parts that are imperfect we are going to fail. When drinking and using, pleasure is short-lived and illusory. Drinking and using can be seen as a symptom of deeper issues of seeking fulfillment and covering up pain. Surrendering to the truth and abandoning addictive ways of being can lead one down a more substantive path of happiness.

Adopting other philosophies and fresh ideas may help in understanding the steps in recovery. At first glance, Buddhist thought may be foreign to some and may cause hesitation in some people. Keep in mind, however, that hesitation and defensiveness are signs that one is clinging to old ways of being and thinking.

Tim Powers is a business professional by day and rocker by night. Tim is Head Content Writer for Sober Nation. You can follow him on Twitter @tpowersbass42.