Step One
HONESTY & THE POWER OF SURRENDER
We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable.
This Step challenges us to accept the reality that alcoholism is a disease and we are powerless over it. It is often summarized by the “Three Cs”: we didn’t cause it, we can’t control it, and we can’t cure it. It means acknowledging that no amount of force, manipulation, or love can conquer another person’s drinking.
Taking this Step brings immense relief and hope. By surrendering the hopeless battle against the alcoholic’s behavior, we are free to redirect our energy toward our own well-being and spiritual growth. It shifts the focus from trying to fix others to healing oneself.
The primary spiritual principle of Step One is honesty. It requires the honesty to admit that our life has become chaotic and that self-will is insufficient to solve the problem. Acceptance and humility are also key, as we confront our own denial and the lies we tell ourselves. We accept our limitations.
With this Step, we also confront the chaos and unmanageability caused by our attempts to change the alcoholic. We lie, we cheat, we ignore our own needs, and we rationalize their behavior. We plead, we argue, and we make their drinking our focus. The result is we feel empty, alone, and rejected.
This Step is the beginning of our recovery. By an honest acceptance of our own powerlessness and unmanageability, we start to feel hope—maybe for the first time. We open the door to the freedom we find in working the remaining steps.
