Step Two

This Step challenges us to recognize that our past efforts to manage the disease of alcoholism—often characterized by the “insanity” of repeating the same failing actions while expecting different results—were futile. It means acknowledging that a source of help exists beyond our own limited resources. We can't do it alone.

This Step provides a much-needed lifeline out of isolation and despair. After admitting complete powerlessness in Step One, we are invited to open our minds to the possibility that a loving, nurturing Higher Power can bring freedom and serenity into our lives. It means we no longer have to struggle alone and can begin to replace a distorted, fear-based view of life with acceptance and trust.

In Al-Anon, we are free to choose our own idea of a Higher Power. Maybe we've prayed and felt abandoned. Maybe we are agnostic or atheist. Maybe the God of our childhood has made us feel unworthy. In Al-Anon, no one tells us what to believe. We can choose our group as a Higher Power. We don't have to believe anything; we just have to admit our own powerlessness and recognize we need something outside ourselves to recover.

The primary spiritual principles of Step Two are hope and open-mindedness. It asks members to be willing to believe that help is possible, even if they do not yet fully understand it. Step Two is critically important because it offers the essential ingredient for recovery: hope. It bridges the gap between acknowledging defeat and taking constructive action, proving that sanity and serenity are attainable.