Working AA Step 1: Expectations, Goals and the Bigger Picture

Most people’s addiction recovery process involves Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) due to the significant impact the program has had on so many lives. The 12-Step process, which originated from AA, is a proven way to achieve long-term sobriety. TIME reports in 2010 that there were “an estimated 2.1 million members worldwide, with 1.3 million of them U.S. residents.” As time has moved on, the non-organization has indeed grown even more.

The Appeal of Alcoholics Anonymous

What draws people recovering from alcohol use disorder (AUD) to AA? Alcoholics Anonymous groups are nearly everywhere, located in most cities and smaller towns. The convenience that AA groups offer is one of community and healthy discussions about addiction recovery. Without a forum for such, people amid addiction recovery would greatly struggle with getting help.

Suppose you are committed to your recovery journey and are looking to join a local AA group. In that case, we are here to provide you with specific information about what you can expect from AA, goals you can make for yourself with AA, and the bigger picture of AA, all while discussing the first step of the 12-Step process.

Step 1: Admitting Powerlessness

The first step of AA cements all ideas about AUD and sets you up for successive steps. While it is a progressive disease with no known cure, it can be successfully treated with a type of spiritual intervention. The first step of Alcoholics Anonymous is as follows:

“We admitted we were powerless over alcohol–that our lives had become unmanageable.”

There you have it. Let’s delve further into what this first step entails and what you should expect in your recovery journey moving forward with Alcoholics Anonymous.

Working Step 1 of Alcoholics Anonymous

Working the first step of AA is possibly the most challenging step, but once completed, it opens you to a newfound foundation of respite from addiction. This respite is a gateway to further progress in recovery and, foremost, your long-term sobriety.

What does it mean to admit you are powerless over alcohol?

Admitting powerlessness over alcohol means you have no control over your consumption of it. Once you start drinking, you cannot cease. Even before you take the first drink, a heap of consequences stares you down from across the room. As much as you want to be able to control your drinking, it is impossible.

Acceptance and Unmanageability

After working the first step, do you eventually regain power over alcohol? No. You simply come to terms with the fact that you are powerless. There is an irreparable change in your brain’s chemistry that disallows you from drinking in moderation in the future.

The second part of the first step comes in succession with admitting your powerlessness of alcohol. There is no ability to manage your life if you cannot control your drinking. This, perhaps, is the more influencing factor of the first step. You have the ability to manage your life if only you stop drinking.

Setting Healthy Expectations for Your First Meeting

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is not curable in a day or even soon after. Treating addiction takes time, much like how it has built up in your life for so long. When first entering AA, you should set healthy expectations. Your focus is on yourself and getting better. How do you get better?

Whether or not you are familiar with the 12-Step program of Alcoholics Anonymous, getting better entails familiarizing yourself with resources and tools for addiction, embracing and being an active part of the recovery community, and abstinence from drinking.

At first glance, AA can be a bit confusing and intimidating but worry not. Remember, everyone is there for a reason. It is the same as your reason. To get better.

What to Expect at Your First Meeting

Standard meetings are typically set in an easy-to-follow format. First entering the door, there might be chatter from others who have been in the program for long. That simmers down as the meeting takes place. A volunteer reader takes charge of reciting introductions. In some groups, openings include reading the twelve steps and twelve traditions, specific excerpts such as the beginnings of the Big Book’s Chapter 3 and Chapter 5, and asking if any visitors or newly sober individuals are present.

At this time, you’d raise your hand and introduce yourself. If you are uncomfortable doing so, no worries. There is no strict rule that you must be a part of the conversation. Long-time AA members understand just how jarring your first experience can be with addiction and getting help. Thus, they do not want to cause you unneeded pressure.

Speaker Meetings or Literature Groups

Depending on the specific format for the meeting, a speaker may be invited to lead the meeting by sharing their story first. Alternatively, a passage from the program’s literature may be read to inspire the group’s members. Once the opening of the meeting has finished, the meeting typically moves to open sharing where any member may share their reflections on the speaker’s story or the literature that was read. After everyone shares, or the meeting goes to time, the meeting may conclude with another reading and the Serenity Prayer.

In all of that time, there is no required commitment expected from you. Rather, first meetings are introductory. It gives you a simple exposure of AA, to make of it what you will.

Setting Realistic Goals for Your Recovery Journey

Going into your recovery journey means you are ready for change; however, not everyone that first attends Alcoholics Anonymous is willing. Circumstances leading up to a person’s participation in 12-Step meetings differ. Whereas you might see a character flaw within yourself driven by the harms of addiction, another could only be there due to court mandate–either they attend meetings or face legal consequences.

Despite what others may be in AA for, your recovery is unique to you. It is yours and yours only to influence and take care of. Thus, setting realistic goals for your recovery journey is crucial to your success in building a better, longer life.

Setting Realistic Goals in Recovery

Set yourself up with small, achievable goals when first starting in recovery. The ideal goal is to abstain from drinking altogether (and some individuals quickly achieve this); however, sometimes, that is too great to ask if you are down-in-the-mud from addiction. That said, those that want to take recovery and long-term sobriety seriously will commit to complete abstinence from alcohol. It is a long-standing belief of AA members that someone who suffers from AUD cannot willfully moderate their drinking.

No better is it said than from the start of Chapter 3 of the Big Book, talking about the failed workarounds for recovery and the impossibility of moderating your drinking:

“Here are some of the methods we have tried: Drinking beer only, limiting the number of drinks, never drinking alone, never drinking in the morning, drinking only at home, never having it in the house, never drinking during business hours, drinking only at parties, switching from scotch to brandy, drinking only natural wines, agreeing to resign if ever drunk on the job, taking a trip, not taking a trip, swearing off forever (with and without a solemn oath), taking more physical exercise, reading inspirational books, going to health farms and sanitariums, accepting voluntary commitment to asylums—we could increase the list ad infinitum.”

Coming to the realization and reminding yourself that alcohol is not the end-all-be-all helps make the process easier. Work towards the bigger goal through small achievements. These small achievements make recovery feel more rewarding, keeping you dedicated.

The Bigger Picture of Alcoholics Anonymous

What is AA’s bigger picture? Sobriety is key. Complete temperance is achievable, and Alcoholics Anonymous designs a path for you to follow. The path itself is up for interpretation which helps mold it to your liking, but nonetheless, it is a stepped system. The steps you take are clearly defined, and as much as it is up for interpretation, it is also to the point.

By following each and every step of AA, you learn about the traditions of past members who succeeded in long-term sobriety, including what worked for them and what didn’t. You also come face-to-face with members who have yet to follow and those that likely never will.

Why Surrender Matters

To understand the difference between the two, you must read between the lines of AA’s program. Members who have yet to succeed hold a belief that AUD is curable. These types of members know of the obstacles to getting sober. Although they may retain sobriety for a period at a time, they have yet to see it out for the long run.

Members who likely will never achieve long-term sobriety are those who are not yet ready to accept that they have an addiction. They join meetings to observe, never reflect. Have you ever felt like you are not fully present during an AA meeting? Has your mind strayed, and the passing thought of drinking entered your head? Because of this behavior, you go on to drink even when you want to stop. You are unable to recognize the evils of addiction, or more so, the evils of alcohol.

Alcoholics Anonymous as the Foundation for Your Recovery

Because Alcoholics Anonymous is a program of 12-Steps, educate yourself about each new chapter, literally and figuratively. Read the Big Book to receive a full-fledged understanding of how AA came to be, and practice the step you are on daily. Practice it until you beat it into the ground like a dead horse. Addiction does not relent, and neither should you.

Let’s put a close to it once and for all: What is the bigger picture of Alcoholics Anonymous? To get the full scope of it, you must work the program. Be open-minded to alumni and their tales of experience. Take from what they say what you will. Recognize what works for you and what doesn’t.

Real Recovery Sober Living incorporates the teachings of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and the 12-Step program into helping our residents find peace with their addiction. The 12-Step model provides a strong foundation and pathway for those looking to achieve long-term recovery. Our sober living facility houses those who are committed and willing to change. We help men who are powerless over alcohol and other substances. We help men who are unable to manage their lives due to addiction. Treatment is an opportunity to better your life. Equip yourself with recovery resources and tools to fight triggers and cravings in the real world. Learn healthy coping behaviors for when all seems too much. Understand how to manage your emotions without overwhelming stress. Our motivation is to offer you a safe and stable environment and community to help you during your recovery journey. Do not hesitate to reach out. Call (727) 290-9156 for more information.