Many people entering into Twelve Step recovery fellowships are uncomfortable with the seemingly ubiquitous use of the word “God.” Twelve Step recovery, however, is not religious—the use of the word “God” is simply referring to the concept of a power greater than oneself. We realized that we were powerless over alcohol and drugs, and to be successful in achieving and maintain our sobriety, we had to find that power in something else—something greater than ourselves. As men and women suffering from the disease of addiction, we were attempting to assert power and control over every facet of our lives—even our own minds and bodies. This selfishness cannot continue if we are to be rid of our problems with alcohol and drugs. The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous explains, “Selfishness—self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles. Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity, we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate. Sometimes they hurt us, seemingly without provocation, but we invariably find that at some time in the past we have made decisions based on self which later placed us in a position to be hurt.” When we are hurt, we inevitably turn to drugs and alcohol as a source of relief and comfort. Our selfish actions actually work against us, and drive us deeper and deeper into our addictions. Instead of continuing down the path of self-will, however, we take the vital step of turning out lives and will over to a higher power of our own understanding. The Big Book further explains, “Many of us had moral and philosophical convictions galore, but we could not live up to them even though we would have liked to. Neither could we reduce our self-centeredness much by wishing or trying on our own power. We had to have God’s help.” This is where we derive the power needed to overcome our addictions—power that we have been lacking. If we are willing to trust in something greater than ourselves, and attempt to carry out the will of our higher power rather than our own, we find that we are finally able to live a life of joy in sobriety.
Your story can be one of hope, faith, and courage. You can make the decision to seek help today and take the first step on your journey to freedom from addiction and alcoholism. Oceanfront Recovery, a treatment facility in beautiful Laguna Beach, is dedicated to providing you all the tools necessary to achieve and maintain lasting sobriety. You can have the life you’ve always wanted. For more information about individualized treatment options, please call today: (877) 279-1777
