Powerless Can be Powerful

The first of the 12 Steps talks about being “powerless” and that’s a point of difference for many people. Some will agree with being powerless, mainly because they haven’t discovered a way to stop their drug or alcohol habit.

Others see it not so much as being powerless, but as a behavioral problem, or a medical problem.

The idea of being powerless is certainly unappealing, especially when you think of the all-American ideal of the self-made man. We like to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps and do it our way, just like the Frank Sinatra song says.

We Americans pride ourselves on courage, perseverance and innovation, especially in difficult times. The world may view us as soft and weak, that is until they are on the receiving end of our military will.

Powerless just doesn’t fit the American paradigm. We don’t necessarily associate powerless with being an opportunity to become powerful.

Looking at addiction as a behavioral problem, I am inclined to turn to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as a good alternative to 12 Step, because CBT centers on our beliefs. For example, if depression is a contributing factor to a patient’s addiction, CBT can be every bit as effective as an antidepressant medication. The therapist will help the addict restructure his/her thoughts and activities in a positive way. Likewise, any other mental complication, such as bi-polar disease, can be helped by CBT. Anxiety disorders, panic attacks and related conditions can all be impacted by CBT.

I think, however, 12 Step gets a bad rap, because people associate it with religion. And, many people in today’s society reject the idea of a “higher power” being necessary in anything, so “God, as we understood him,” is not an option.

I recently read a piece on the Accelerated Recovery Centers web site and found one important commonality with them. I wholeheartedly agree that the labeling of “alcoholic” is wrong and counter productive. Likewise “addict” serves no purpose for me. However, I still see 12 Step as a journey to wholeness, not only in body and mind, but in spirit.

CBT can be very effective, as we learn to discard the negative messages in our mind and replace them with positive thoughts. In 12 Step, as we develop our relationship with the “higher power,” or God, as one understands God to be, the powerlessness turns to power, as we tap into a power source outside of ourselves, it is the ever-strengthening relationship that sustains our transformation to health and vitality.

There are so many ways to look at God and I respect that, but the point is we don’t stop at merely not using, but we continue into strengthening ourselves in every aspect of life; it’s not about religion, it’s about relationship.

Another rap against 12 Step that I hear so often is that it doesn’t work. That may be the case and I can see why it wouldn’t work. 12 Step is not easy and requires much self-examination, honesty, openness and willingness. It’s also very slow. You can’t breeze through it and people sometimes need to take a year or more just to work on one step. Our American culture demands results now, so 12 Step is not a popular choice for those looking for an immediate solution.

But 12 Step goes beyond recovery. Even if a person does not struggle with substance abuse, the 12 Step process is a remarkable tool for spiritual renewal. Call it a process for working through the human condition. The human condition is messy.

Regardless of how one’s health is restored, the important part is seeking and receiving the help. There are so many ways, so many options. People can recover from substance abuse and addiction. I guess that’s the bottom line.

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